How to Support Employee Voice at Work

Ever notice that the same voices dominate meetings while others stay silent? It’s not that quieter employees have nothing to say sometimes the environment doesn’t always invite them in. One of my clients, a team leader, realized this after returning to in-person meetings. Some of her most thoughtful team members, who had contributed actively in remote settings, had gone quiet. She could have assumed they had nothing to add. Instead, she made small but powerful changes: ✔️ She shared agendas ahead of time, giving introverts space to prepare. ✔️ She encouraged written input, so ideas weren’t lost if someone didn’t speak in the moment. ✔️ She actively invited quieter team members into discussions without putting them on the spot. The result? More engagement, better discussions, and a stronger team dynamic. If you’re a leader, remember: speaking up isn’t just an employee’s responsibility, it’s also about how you create space for them to do so. I share additional strategies in a recent YouTube video: https://lnkd.in/giHj2kYb #LeadingQuietly #IntrovertAtWork

We’ve all seen it (or been in it!): the spotlight moment that gets stolen. I remember meeting with a team where the most junior member—a woman—was sharing a fresh, creative idea. It involved a smart strategy using micro-influencers to boost an upcoming launch. But right as she got to the punchline, a more senior male colleague cut her off and steamrolled the conversation with his own (less-than-fresh) idea. Her moment? Gone. 👎 Moments like this aren’t rare. And while we can’t control every meeting dynamic, we can take steps to lift up those who are routinely overlooked—especially coworkers who are new, introverted, have marginalized identities, or just not being seen for the value they bring. Here are three small but powerful ways to be an advocate, inspired by the work of Dr. Joan Williams at UC Hastings College of Law: 1) Give a strong intro Don't even give your colleague the chance to flounder in front of a VIP! Help set the stage instead: “Janelle has five years of event planning experience, and I’m excited to have her on this project!” 2) Shield them from critics If you know they’ve delivered before, say so: “Let’s hear this idea out. I know Surya has run several projects just like this.” 3) Nominate them for great assignments Don’t wait for credit to be handed out. Speak up: “Erin managed a similar portfolio last spring, and she’d be great at running point with the client.” There's no excuse to sleepwalk through these kinds of dynamics. When we amplify overlooked voices, everyone benefits. Teams get stronger. Trust grows. Innovation flourishes. (The link to my article on this is in the comments if you want to read more!) How are you advocating for the person in the room who’s getting missed? Image alt text: null

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐂𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫💥 I’ve seen it too often—companies say they want employees to “own their roles,” but never actually hand over real responsibility. Ownership doesn’t grow in micromanagement. It grows in trust. When people feel their voice shapes the outcome, they don’t just comply—they commit. Here are 4 steps to unlock that commitment: 1️⃣ 𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒂 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕. Give them the room—and watch their confidence grow. 2️⃣ 𝑪𝒐-𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔. Ask for input before finalizing plans. You’ll gain loyalty and fresh perspective. 3️⃣ 𝑺𝒆𝒕 𝒈𝒐𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓. Ask, “What goal would excite you this quarter?” 4️⃣ 𝑫𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔, 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒂𝒔𝒌𝒔. Real authority fuels real engagement. The best way to empower your people is to remind them you're in their corner—and then step back so they can rise. ➖➖➖ For nearly two decades, companies like Nike, Activision Blizzard, and the U.S. Army have trusted me to help them: Boost retention and trust Resolve conflict before it becomes costly Strengthen manager-employee relationships Navigate tough DEI and culture challenges They call me the “𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐫” because I help leaders hear what’s not being said—and fix what others miss. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧—𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐧—𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐭. ***** 👉 𝑴𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍l and see if the 𝑬𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒚𝒆𝒆 𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒓 𝑺𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎 is right for your team. Let’s get ahead of the issues before they get ahead of you. #LeadershipDevelopment #EmployeeEngagement #TrustAndTransparency #EmpoweredTeams #PeopleFirst #WorkplaceCulture