Why 'speak up culture' is a lie

"The corporate world has fallen head over heels for the idea of a "speak Up culture." It sounds good on paper. It feels progressive, empowering and forward-thinking. But here's the truth: it's overrated, misunderstood, and dangerously misleading. Take Qantas, Boeing and ITN. Each promoted "speak up" initiatives, yet employees still feared retaliation, complaints went unheard, and trust evaporated. Here's why."

"It's not a poster in the break room or on the back of bathroom doors telling people "It's safe to speak your truth." It's an individual's lived experience of safety, comfort, and confidence in a given moment. It's personal, contextual, and deeply affected by environment and relationships. It's how safe you feel in this moment, in this space, with these people. And here's the thing. No two people in your organization will feel exactly the same level of safety."

"If you ask people to speak up in a toxic, negative, or unsafe environment, you're not empowering them. You're throwing them to the wolves and handing them a microphone. As it's often defined, "speak up culture" encourages people to admit mistakes, give feedback, take risks, voice opinions and "be their authentic selves" without fear of repercussion. But the reality is that without real psychological safety, those very actions can backfire and cause harm. Without the groundwork of genuine psychological safety, speaking up isn't empowering. It's exposing."

Organizations increasingly adopt 'speak up' initiatives while employees often fear retaliation, experience ignored complaints, and lose trust. 'Speak up' campaigns assume everyone feels psychologically safe, that all employees possess the communication and relational skills to raise concerns, and that leaders will act responsively. Psychological safety is personal, contextual, and varies across individuals and situations. Asking people to speak up in toxic environments can expose them to harm. Speaking up requires self-awareness, communication skill, team understanding, and a genuinely safe, inclusive environment. Without leadership accountability and practical supports, speak-up programs can become performative and counterproductive.

Read at Fast Company