The Costs of Organizational Silence
Every time there is a major atrocity or movement the question arises again, “will _____ say anything?” and it’s companion “should I/we say anything?”. People and organizations which claim to care about ethics, diversity, mental health, safety, and community or otherwise comment on the topic of the day become eerily tense and frequently silent. Recent subjects which have inspired this kind of incongruent silence include:
Trans Lives and Access to Care
This kind of silence in the face of injustice, disaster, and atrocity is a direct feature of white supremacy culture, it is violent. It is a silence which is bred from one or a combination of: paternalism, power hoarding, individualism, fear of conflict and a right to comfort. For some paralysis can also involve defensiveness and perfectionism, again characteristics of white supremacy culture.
People and organizations alike pause to think about the cost of speaking up and speaking truth to power. They worry themselves with the possible loss of pay/funding or alienating people and organizations which oppose the rights of the targeted and oppressed. While these concerns are not unfounded (especially for individuals), seldom do entities actually consider the consequences of their silence. Organizations in particular fail to consider what their silence and inaction communicates to employees or members who are of or relate to targeted and oppressed populations. They fail to think that their silence will be noted by others and have a far longer term albeit possibly quieter negative impact.
Experiencing Silence as a Person of Targeted Identity
As a person who embodies multiple targeted identities and believes in collective liberation and solidarity, I have had the heartbreaking and infuriating experience of organizations and people choosing complicit silence, here is what it feels like for me:
There is a unique pain and rage that comes with institutional betrayal; it starts in the heart or head and radiates into my bones and soul. There is the unavoidable realization that the people around me care more about money and power than my life or lives of those like me. It is a queasiness in the stomach which pronounces that if push comes to shove, they will choose funding over humanity and justice. The tears in my eyes are communicating the knowledge that I am not included in their universe of obligation. My legs get jittery with the “you should have known better” of living Black in a colonial anti-Black world. And then there is the heaviness that comes with having to weigh what this means for the relationship or job and if I need to leave it behind. Wellness takes a hit regardless of the choice.
The Business Case Against Silence
Regardless of this more poetic somatic share of experience, it’s already been noted that the human aspect of the issues wasn’t compelling enough to act so let’s discuss this in capitalistic terms.
- When people of color are unhappy with organizations they don’t stick around. In the case of workplaces, people of color, especially Black people, do not “quiet quit” the just quit the job completely. More generally Indeed’s 2023 report found that 60% of job seekers would turn down a job from an organization if they didn’t believe the management or leadership were committed to DEIB values. A 2021 Gartner HR report found that 68% of employees would consider leaving their current employer for an organization which took a stronger stance on social justice and cultural issues.
- These numbers are important because based on a 2012 report it costs businesses an average of 10 to 30 percent of an employee’s annual salary to replace an employee who has quit. - Further, when an organization creates a culture of silence where they and their employees are afraid to speak up on important issues, it damages psychological safety eating away at company culture. When employees are vocal and resentful at work it impacts productivity to the tune of $9 trillion USD globally. While there are many different causes for employees to be upset at work, the previously mentioned numbers show that organization silence is definitely one which is why I included this date in this discussion.
- It is also worth noting that that silence harm individuals in a multitude of ways and even conservative business sources like Harvard Business Review provides information about the harms of silence and encourages employees to fight back against it. - Some of these consequences are moderated by the reputation and values an organization espouses. Organizations are now in an age where they must be transparent about their ethics because good and transparent values attract top talent. However, when an organization then chooses silence in the face of an issue they are judged on that incongruence.
- Then there is the bad press that comes from attempts at silence or enforcing silence. Employees now will go public to hold their employers and organizations accountable for bad or silent stances on hot button issues. This is not to mention boycotts and strikes when people feel that organizations are doing harm.
This list could go on and on, but I believe that this abbreviated argument makes the business and human costs of silence clear.
What to Do?
While there are many differing opinions on if, when and how people and organizations should speak up, where most agree is that information gathering is the first step. If you do not feel knowledgeable about a topic you are being asked to take a stance on, it is time to hit the books and consult google. Communication is next. Talk with people and listen to what their concerns are and why they are looking to you for support. Then it is time to consider your own ethics and values. This step is very important because people differ and those seeking to harm others or take away their rights will also seek support. When a person or organization is insecure in their values and ethics, they can be easily swayed into believing harmful propaganda, lies or half-truths. Organizations may consider hiring a consultant to help with this whole process.
You WILL upset someone. There are a lot of people who do not consider various populations to be worthy of life or rights. There are many interests which are vested in colonialism, oppression, and genocide. This also cannot serve as a deterrent to being vocal in the face of injustice and atrocity. There are many ways to join in making the world and your corner of it better, but silence in the face of an oppressive status quo will always help the oppressor and harm the oppressed.
