Post by moon125 on Nov 5, 2024 8:15:20 GMT
Every team has employees who are always silent at general meetings, do not express their opinion first, and most often simply agree with other people's proposals. But when they feel the support of their colleagues, they actively defend their point of view. This is a clear example of the "spiral of silence". In this article, we talk about this social phenomenon, as well as about how the silence of personnel can threaten the company.
What is the spiral of silence
The term "spiral of silence" was proposed and described in her book "Public Opinion. The Discovery of the Spiral of Silence" by German sociologist and political scientist Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann in 1974. This social phenomenon means a person's tendency shopify website design not to express their opinion on any issue if it contradicts the views of the majority. At the same time, the theory also works in the opposite direction: the more support a person feels, the more actively they defend their point of view.
The concept of the spiral of silence
The concept of the spiral of silence
At the base of the spiral are people who are afraid of being judged and prefer to remain silent. The more a person's opinion differs from the general opinion, the more he doubts his own rightness. The diameter of the spiral increases with each turn, and with it the number of people with the same point of view increases. Thus, the majority becomes stronger and stronger, and the minority falls silent.
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Find out the opinion
of employees
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How the Spiral of Silence Forms
Any team consists of people with different temperaments, experiences, beliefs and tastes. And such diversity is valuable: you must admit, it would be uninteresting to hold the same brainstorming sessions if all the participants thought the same way. However, in situations where opinions are divided, some employees would rather remain silent and take the side of the majority than defend an unpopular point of view. There is an explanation for this - the fear of isolation.
From an evolutionary biology perspective, being part of a group is important for survival, so you need to at least give the impression that you share the same views as everyone else. Most people felt the need to fit in and feel supported by their peers as teenagers. But even as adults, many will go to great lengths to maintain good relationships with the group, saying and doing what they think others want them to do.
Spiral of Silence is
People tend to agree with the majority, even if they have a different opinion.
The Consequences of Silence in the Workplace
On the one hand, solidarity of employees with the opinion of the team has advantages: it demonstrates empathy, attention to the opinions of others, actions in the interests of the company, and not the pursuit of personal goals. On the other hand, the spiral of silence still acts on the team to a greater extent destructively. Let's look at some of its consequences.
Groupthink
Groupthink is the tendency of group members to agree with the majority opinion for the sake of overall harmony or under the pressure of authority. The main mistake employees make is to think that if their opinion is in the minority, it is wrong. This attitude is dangerous because it results in the team making irrational decisions, not noticing or deliberately ignoring mistakes, and not offering anything innovative.
Spiral of Silence What is Dangerous?
Groupthink hinders healthy debate
Concealing the problems
In companies with a toxic corporate culture, it happens that senior management convinces the staff through all communication channels that the organization is thriving and there are no problems, although in fact everything is not so. But employees keep silent about the real state of affairs due to fear of losing their position, status, privileges, etc., thereby maintaining a destructive illusion of general well-being.
Unresolved issues accumulate and create an oppressive atmosphere in the company: conflicts become more frequent, team dynamics deteriorate, employees constantly feel dissatisfied, which ultimately leads to a decrease in overall productivity.
Read also
"Psychological safety"
Read more
Decrease in staff efficiency
Constant doubts about one's rightness, unspoken ideas and opinions generate stress in a person and a feeling that he is "somehow different" since his point of view is at odds with the collective. All this has a negative impact on the productivity of the staff, leading to burnout or "quiet dismissal" - performing the necessary work minimum, lack of motivation and low involvement.
How to Get Your Team Out of the Silence Spiral
Building Trust
Imagine a manager who sets unrealistic deadlines, causing a lot of stress to the team. Everyone knows about the problem and talks about it among themselves. However, no one wants to talk openly about it with the manager, because the manager believes that employees who can’t handle the workload don’t belong in the job. If such a manager asks the team for feedback on their management style, they will never hear an honest opinion. So if you want to know what people really think, eliminate the negative consequences of their candor: employees should not be afraid to openly express their opinions.
How to build team trust:
be open to feedback;
listen carefully to your subordinates and respect their opinions
avoid favoritism;
ensure transparency of work processes;
Communicate honestly to staff about changes or problems in the company.
What is the spiral of silence
The term "spiral of silence" was proposed and described in her book "Public Opinion. The Discovery of the Spiral of Silence" by German sociologist and political scientist Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann in 1974. This social phenomenon means a person's tendency shopify website design not to express their opinion on any issue if it contradicts the views of the majority. At the same time, the theory also works in the opposite direction: the more support a person feels, the more actively they defend their point of view.
The concept of the spiral of silence
The concept of the spiral of silence
At the base of the spiral are people who are afraid of being judged and prefer to remain silent. The more a person's opinion differs from the general opinion, the more he doubts his own rightness. The diameter of the spiral increases with each turn, and with it the number of people with the same point of view increases. Thus, the majority becomes stronger and stronger, and the minority falls silent.
survey platform
Find out the opinion
of employees
Just!
How the Spiral of Silence Forms
Any team consists of people with different temperaments, experiences, beliefs and tastes. And such diversity is valuable: you must admit, it would be uninteresting to hold the same brainstorming sessions if all the participants thought the same way. However, in situations where opinions are divided, some employees would rather remain silent and take the side of the majority than defend an unpopular point of view. There is an explanation for this - the fear of isolation.
From an evolutionary biology perspective, being part of a group is important for survival, so you need to at least give the impression that you share the same views as everyone else. Most people felt the need to fit in and feel supported by their peers as teenagers. But even as adults, many will go to great lengths to maintain good relationships with the group, saying and doing what they think others want them to do.
Spiral of Silence is
People tend to agree with the majority, even if they have a different opinion.
The Consequences of Silence in the Workplace
On the one hand, solidarity of employees with the opinion of the team has advantages: it demonstrates empathy, attention to the opinions of others, actions in the interests of the company, and not the pursuit of personal goals. On the other hand, the spiral of silence still acts on the team to a greater extent destructively. Let's look at some of its consequences.
Groupthink
Groupthink is the tendency of group members to agree with the majority opinion for the sake of overall harmony or under the pressure of authority. The main mistake employees make is to think that if their opinion is in the minority, it is wrong. This attitude is dangerous because it results in the team making irrational decisions, not noticing or deliberately ignoring mistakes, and not offering anything innovative.
Spiral of Silence What is Dangerous?
Groupthink hinders healthy debate
Concealing the problems
In companies with a toxic corporate culture, it happens that senior management convinces the staff through all communication channels that the organization is thriving and there are no problems, although in fact everything is not so. But employees keep silent about the real state of affairs due to fear of losing their position, status, privileges, etc., thereby maintaining a destructive illusion of general well-being.
Unresolved issues accumulate and create an oppressive atmosphere in the company: conflicts become more frequent, team dynamics deteriorate, employees constantly feel dissatisfied, which ultimately leads to a decrease in overall productivity.
Read also
"Psychological safety"
Read more
Decrease in staff efficiency
Constant doubts about one's rightness, unspoken ideas and opinions generate stress in a person and a feeling that he is "somehow different" since his point of view is at odds with the collective. All this has a negative impact on the productivity of the staff, leading to burnout or "quiet dismissal" - performing the necessary work minimum, lack of motivation and low involvement.
How to Get Your Team Out of the Silence Spiral
Building Trust
Imagine a manager who sets unrealistic deadlines, causing a lot of stress to the team. Everyone knows about the problem and talks about it among themselves. However, no one wants to talk openly about it with the manager, because the manager believes that employees who can’t handle the workload don’t belong in the job. If such a manager asks the team for feedback on their management style, they will never hear an honest opinion. So if you want to know what people really think, eliminate the negative consequences of their candor: employees should not be afraid to openly express their opinions.
How to build team trust:
be open to feedback;
listen carefully to your subordinates and respect their opinions
avoid favoritism;
ensure transparency of work processes;
Communicate honestly to staff about changes or problems in the company.