Nine Ways to Build an Inclusive Speak-Up Culture
In these uniquely complex times, ensuring that everyone can speak up safely, equitably and in an inclusive manner is critical for any organisation that wants to build agile and responsive teams, manage risk astutely and effectively, and support ethical, values-led behaviour.
Whether it’s by encouraging their people to share new ideas and diverse perspectives, ask questions, raise concerns and speak truth to power, or take risks and try new things, organisations with a strong ‘speak-up’ culture outperform their peers, boost organisational resilience, innovation and productivity, drive down misconduct, build trust and reputation with their stakeholders and support staff wellbeing and engagement.
Yet building a truly inclusive speak-up culture remains a key challenge for many businesses. The IBE’s ‘Ethics at Work Report’ shows that despite a three-year upward trend, only 64% of respondents report a willingness to speak up – with those who did not speak up fearing that no corrective action would be taken (34%) or that they might jeopardise their job (34%).
And in this very complex moment – where trust in politicians, businesses and media to behave ethically is at its lowest in four years, long-established legal, regulatory, political and leadership norms and foundations are in flux, and the debate around DEI is ever more polarised – it can feel harder than ever to build the trust and psychological safety that is so key to a strong speak up culture. There is a risk that recent progress around speaking up, particularly for traditionally marginalised groups, might be lost.
One thing is clear – a focus on policies and procedures alone cannot be enough. To succeed, an inclusive speak-up approach needs to be a deep cultural orientation that allows the voice of all employees to drive the heart of your organisation. Which is why Kin&Co and the Institute of Business Ethics decided to partner together to pose the question – with the current complexity around DEI and inclusion, how can organisations support all voices to speak up and be heard?
To do this, we convened a small group of experts – all from varied sectors, perspectives and backgrounds – to exchange views and ideas, learn from each other, and reflect on how organisations can continue to drive progress on speaking up, and ensure their approaches work for everyone. We were proud to run the discussion as a Nancy Klein ‘Thinking Environment’ to encourage equality of voice, deep thought, active listening, and respect in the discussion itself. We are grateful for everyone involved for sharing their knowledge and experiences with such openness and generosity.
Here are some reflections, insights, ideas and key themes from our discussion!
Nine ideas to support inclusive speaking up
1 – Put people first to foster an inclusive culture
Speaking up can be a vulnerable act which is deeply impacted by personal experiences, identity and relationships. How might someone’s gender, race, or sexuality impact their willingness to speak up? Is there a power imbalance that makes it harder? Do they have the skills and capabilities to get their point across? Perhaps they are concerned they have misunderstood the situation, or wondered if the information they hold is really valid or useful?
Are they speaking in their first language? Are they an introvert or an extrovert? Are they worried about damaging a relationship, a social dynamic, or social status? Have they had bad experiences of speaking up previously? Being curious, thoughtful and empathetic about these human experiences – and the barriers they might create – is critical to centring inclusion.
2 – Focus on the lived experience, not just the process
Reporting mechanisms can often feel impersonal and opaque and offer little reassurance that concerns will be handled sensitively or taken seriously. Lack of transparency breeds anxiety; people want to know who will see their information and how outcomes will be communicated back to them. First-hand narratives of safe resolutions encourage reporting far more effectively than policy text ever can.
Be as transparent about the process as possible – so people know what to expect during each stage. Listen to those who have raised concerns before, understand what their specific obstacles were or what helped them, and ask what the experience taught them. Their insight reveals where the real barriers lie and allows organisations, leaders and teams to tailor solutions to specific needs and situations.
3 – Build inclusive processes for speaking up
Encourage all teams and individuals involved in speaking up, listening up and investigations to up-skill around inclusion – for example through reverse mentoring, working closely with champions groups and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), and actively asking for feedback on their approach. Ensure there is strong diversity and representation among those involved in the process to build trust and connection.
Monitor data and sentiment closely to identify, understand and address ‘speak-up hotspots’ among specific groups and communities. Ask honest questions about whose voices do we typically pay most attention to, and who do we overlook, who gets praised for speaking up and who might get blamed.
4 – Avoid delegating responsibility for speaking up to marginalised voices
Too often, the burden of speaking up falls unfairly on those most impacted by harm or with the most to lose, while those with more power often avoid shouldering any burden. Marginalised employees shouldn’t bear the risk and emotional burden of speaking out. True allyship means everyone shares this responsibility.
While ERGs offer vital support and guidance by employees who are marginalised, overlooked, or disproportionately impacted by global political events, leadership must move beyond simply allowing them to ‘exist’. Instead, they should invest in paid, resourced representative roles to alleviate the “side-of-desk” burden and ensure ERGs are visibly integrated into governance structures, signalling their importance and leadership’s active allyship.
5 – Prioritise listening up
A speak-up culture only works if there is a genuine will to listen-up. Boards, leaders and managers must be trained to listen with respect and openness and respond supportively and without judgement or blame. Be aware of micro-signals that discourage speaking up (for example, closed doors or full diaries) or body language and tone that could be intimidating.
6 – Follow through on actions and feedback
People will stop speaking up if nothing changes. Feedback loops must be transparent, with regular updates on actions taken. Closing the loop builds trust and signals that every voice matters. Even when the outcome isn’t what the speaker hoped for, explaining the “why” shows respect.
7 – Build confidence in everyday inclusive speak-up culture
Normalise open dialogue and feedback as a daily practice and create cultures where disagreement is healthy, challenge is welcomed, and honesty is routine. Help build confidence and competence in teams around sharing different perspectives for example, through culture cafes where people can discuss topics openly and confidentially, open-door ‘drop-ins’, thinking environments and facilitated conversations, which can all build key skills. Prioritise building trust and psychological safety within teams to support honest conversations.
8 – Send a clear message from the top
Ensure there is a strong message from leadership that speaking up is welcomed, valued and expected from everyone. Encourage leaders to set the tone by actively inviting input and feedback from everyone – showing active and genuine interest in different perspectives, and seeking out views from people they hear from less often. Openness about their own mistakes and challenges, sharing and acting on feedback, and publicly thanking people for raising their voices go a long way in setting the tone.
9 – Make speaking up the norm
Normalise feedback as a daily practice. Reinforce the message that speaking up is everyone’s job, every day! Praise and model courageous conversations across all levels of the organisation. Embed speak-up moments into everyday routines, like meetings and check-ins. Celebrate speaking up as part of the culture, for everyone.
Creating an inclusive Speak-up culture benefits everyone, but it takes intention and courage – and a commitment that goes far deeper than policies, procedures and hotlines. We hope you’ve found these reflections useful.