As part of Module 2 of the Learning Journey, staff were asked: “What would you dare not say to your manager or director?”
Responses were anonymous, focused on real business issues, and revealed patterns that reflect trust, communication, and psychological safety across the workplace.
Key Dynamics
Two overarching dynamics emerged:
- Silence – Staff withhold feedback due to fear of repercussions, lack of psychological safety, or the belief that speaking up won’t change anything. This shows up in concerns about micromanagement, favouritism, inconsistent leadership, and overwork.
- Challenge – Beneath the silence, staff want to challenge constructively. They seek fairness, recognition, growth opportunities, transparency, and more realistic workloads.
Core Themes
The statements clustered around six main themes:
- Leadership & Management Style – Concerns about micromanagement, favouritism, lack of consistency, and unclear direction.
- Workload & Resources – Staff feel stretched and under-resourced, with unrealistic expectations.
- Career Growth & Recognition – Calls for clearer pathways, appreciation, and fair recognition.
- Communication & Behaviour – Requests for clarity, transparency, and genuine listening.
- Pay & Benefits – While raised, less dominant compared to leadership and workload issues.
- Culture & Values – Gaps between stated values and lived behaviours, and a desire for fairness and empathy.
Insights
- Staff care deeply about their work and want to contribute ideas, but the environment often pushes them towards silence.
- They want to challenge positively, but only if it feels safe and meaningful.
- Leadership behaviours—especially fairness, consistency, and openness—are the key levers to unlock staff voice.
Recommendations
- Build trust by ending favouritism, reducing micromanagement, and creating safe listening forums.
- Balance workload through fair resourcing and realistic expectations.
- Recognise and grow people with transparent career pathways and regular appreciation.
- Strengthen communication by keeping messages clear, consistent, and responsive.
- Align rewards and values so that recognition matches contribution and leaders role-model stated values.
The Opportunity
The report is not a sign of systemic dysfunction, but of untapped potential. Staff want to speak up, challenge fairly, and grow. By creating the conditions for psychological safety, leaders can transform silence into energy for collaboration, innovation, and resilience.