Silent But Deadly: Why You Need To Speak Up At Work

Staying quiet is easy. Just sit back, relax, and let everyone else do all chattering. But is this type of behavior beneficial to your growth? The answer is a resounding “hell no.”

By no means am I the role model for the meek. There are certainly situations where I talk too much, and others where I should step up to the plate and let the world know what I think. Still, I’ve found that voicing my opinion and being an open communicator has made an enormous impact on the way I live my life.

There are many reasons you might choose to remain silent in social situations. A few common examples include:

• I really don’t have anything important to say
• I’m afraid everyone will criticize and judge me
• There are enough people voicing their opinions, so I don’t really need to contribute
• This day dream is way too interesting to interrupt with real thoughts

This “silence is golden” mentality is an excellent defense mechanism, but it will rarely lead you towards meaningful personal growth in your career. Below are four reasons that I believe you should make a proactive effort to speak up more in the workplace:

1. Your Life Is Unique

Every single person on this planet has lived a different life. We hold a collection of unique experiences with us that guide the thousands of decisions we make every day. Your experiences can bring a new dynamic to any conversation. This is how innovation happens, and the input of many will usually beat out a single individual (crowd sourcing, anyone?)

2. It Relieves Stress

Multitasking is a myth. In reality, your brain can only concentrate on one task at a time. The more thoughts you keep inside your head, the less bandwidth you give your brain to work on any given task. By speaking out, you clear your mental cache and give yourself the opportunity to move on to something new.

3. Build Your Confidence

There’s a strong correlation between confidence and communication skills. A well placed comment or idea can help you command respect from your peers, which in turn results in a positive self outlook. Practice makes perfect, so try to make a habit of sharing your ideas.

4. It Creates Opportunities

Wayne Gretzky once said “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Aside from being one of my favorite quotes, it is also 100% accurate. Simply communicating your wants, needs, and desires will open an obscene amount of possibilities for you.

Speaking up might be uncomfortable for you at first, but it is far from an impossible task. Start simple by complimenting your coworkers each day. This is a low risk, high reward scenario that will let you open up without receiving much negative attention. Continue to increase the stakes until you are comfortable talking openly, and I guarantee you will see positive results over time.

Do you agree that speaking up fuels personal growth? Share your stories or comments below (its easy practice!)