This is a powerful and timely book. As the cover says, ‘What you say or don’t say can have life-defining consequences for yourself and those around you. ‘Speak Up’ helps you navigate power differences so you can talk confidently and enable others to be heard.’
When we talk about relationships going awry, particularly in a work context, I’ve often heard it said that we should ‘speak up’ more. Easier said than done for many of us. There are all manner of constraints that prevent us from speaking up, many of which are explored in this book.
It is largely structured around five questions, which make up the TRUTH framework, each of which has its own chapter in the book:
How much do you Trust the value of your opinion and the opinions of others?
What are the Risks involved when you or others speak up?
Do you Understand the politics of who says what, to who and why?
Are you aware of the Titles and labels we attach to one another – and how they shape what gets said and heard?
Do you know How to choose the right words at the right time in the right place and how, skilfully, to help others to speak up through what you say and do?
When we want to create change and transformation in an organisation or be more innovative or creative, we talk about having more ‘psychologically safe’ cultures, where people feel safe to speak up and challenge and share their concerns. This book helps to turn that theory into reality. It’s packed full of ‘how tos’ around establishing the right conditions for creating that kind of ‘speak up’ culture, including mini case studies and questions to ask yourself.
It’s also got some magical insights around what might seem obvious – if you are speaking up but there isn’t anyone listening, it’s pointless. So, there are also ‘listen up’ tips to help the reader understand how power can enable others to speak up and, how it might silence them too.
This short but thought-provoking read, really made me consider the huge impact that simple conversations can have, sometimes eliciting a swathe of emotions in just a few words. It challenges the reader to think about their own power and ability to listen and speak up and improve relationships.
On a much larger scale, it makes you reflect on how each of us can effect positive change in the world, just from how we speak and listen to others. Real food for thought.