Speaking up check
For any group session: whether everyone got a real say, or a few voices filled the room.
Worth a look
- How to speak up for yourselfAdam Galinsky, TEDWhy the same push sounds confident from one person and pushy from another, and how to widen the range of what you can say. (opens in a new tab)
- Dare to disagreeMargaret Heffernan, TEDThe case that the person who argues with you is often doing you the biggest favour, and that good teams fight about ideas. (opens in a new tab)
- Building a psychologically safe workplaceAmy Edmondson, TEDxHGSEIf you held back in that room, it was probably the room. The researcher behind 'psychological safety' on why people go quiet. (opens in a new tab)
- Radical Candor In 6 Minutes With Kim ScottRadical CandorBeing too nice to say it has a name, ruinous empathy. Six minutes on saying the hard thing in a way people can use. (opens in a new tab)
- How to Speak Up: Even When You Don’t Want ToSarah Crawford-Bohl, TEDA short, practical framework for the moment you know you should say something and your throat closes. (opens in a new tab)
More (2)
- 10 ways to have a better conversationCeleste Headlee, TEDA radio interviewer's rules for conversations where people actually get heard, starting with: don't multitask. (opens in a new tab)
- Crucial ConversationsJoseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, Ron McMillan, Al SwitzlerThe book on what to do when opinions differ, stakes are high and the easy move is to say nothing. (opens in a new tab)
The conviction read: a room full of nods looks the same whether people agree or are holding back. A wide spread on 'Disagreeing out loud felt welcome' says some of them were holding back.
What's in the template
- I said what I actually thought at least once. puck
- Disagreeing out loud felt welcome here. puck
- Quieter people got real space to speak. puck
- When I spoke, people took it seriously. puck
- People let each other finish. puck
- I held nothing important back. puck
Questions about this template
Who should send it, the facilitator or someone else?
Ideally someone other than the person who ran the room, so it reads as a real question rather than a request for praise. Share what comes back with the group, including any spread on disagreeing out loud.
What if 'Quieter people got real space to speak' lands low?
Change the format before the next session: time to write before discussing, pairs before the full group, and a round where everyone speaks once. Then send a fresh copy afterward to see if it moved.