Conspiracy of Silence

Hey, there's a great new article at Knowledge@Wharton, about that...thing. You know, that um... you know... thing. Ok, lean in closer and I'll tell you about it.

It's been years since Jack Welch spoke of superficial congeniality, what he called the biggest problem in companies. Superficial congeniality is a lack of candour, a lack of truth telling. Being nice and getting along, regardless of your "real" feelings on a particular matter.

In Don't Mention It: How 'Undiscussables' Can Undermine an Organization, this topic is covered in light of the situation that has recently unfolded at Penn State, wherein silence was chosen instead of straight talk. The article captures the very essence of how this happens:

Most people do not want to jeopardize their own position in the company, and are more likely to remain quiet if there is no safe place to air concerns. 

 The key to preventing situations from arising in your organization, is to ensure that safety of straight talk and openness are woven into the fabric of the organization, at each and every level.

Make superficial congeniality a thing of the past in 2012.

To read the article, click here.