Share of Voice is a term used by marketing professionals to measure their brand visibility compared to their competitors. However, it's also a term that can be useful when we're trying to nurture psychological safety in our teams. In his book Leadership is Language, L. David Marquet defined share of voice as “the proportion of words attributed to each person in a conversation and is an excellent indicator of the power gradient within an organization” (p. 32)
We've all been in meetings where only a small portion of attendees do the majority of the talking. Sometimes, the boss does all the talking. If we want to leverage the knowledge, perspectives and expertise of the employees we've hired for those very things, we must also ensure they have an opportunity to speak.
Studies tell us that diversity is good for business. But it's more than just having those diverse people around the table. It's about the diversity of their experience and perspectives. When we look at an issue from several angles or perspectives, we can solve problems or create opportunities much more effectively.
Creating a more balanced Share of Voice
In Amy Edmondson's book, The Fearless Organization, she has laid out the process to create psychological safety, which we can apply to this idea of share of voice:
1. Set the Stage - Let your team know what you're trying to achieve. Tell them outright that you're trying to create a more balanced share of voice and you want them to share their perspectives and ideas.
2. Invite Participation - There are a couple of ways to do this. You can conduct a round-table where everyone takes their turn speaking. You can also make the effort to notice who has been silent and ask them directly to speak up. If you're still having trouble hearing from everyone, you might need to explore the reasons behind the silence and have some one-on-one conversations.
3. Respond Productively - when people do speak up, it's important to acknowledge this act of courage and make sure to listen carefully and consider what they've put forward. We can often be quick to say "that won't work" or "we've already tried that" which effectively shuts down any further ideas from that person. Even a reponse in our body language can discourage people from speaking up again. All it takes is a few sconds to say "thank you for that perspective. Tell me more."
The idea of creating a more constructive culture by nurturing psychological safety can seem overwhelming. Encouraging share of voice is a good place to start.
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