#organisational-behaviour — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #organisational-behaviour, aggregated by home.social.
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🚫 Stop calling it a pivot.
Every skill, scar, and success adds to it. Your judgement. Your influence. Your value.
🧱 Stack experience. Don't apologise for it.
https://robert.winter.ink/stacking-experience/
#LeadershipDevelopment #CareerGrowth #ExecutivePresence #FutureOfWork #Capability #ProfessionalGrowth #ReframeSuccess #OrganisationalBehaviour #StackExperience #LeadershipMatters
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It is often said that silence implies assent. But in organisations, it often signals something else entirely: fear, disengagement, or quiet resistance.
#Leadership #OrganisationalBehaviour #QuietQuitting #EmployeeVoice #PsychologicalSafety #Management #WorkplaceCulture #SilenceAtWork
https://robert.winter.ink/silence-in-organisational-behaviour/
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Silence in Organisational Behaviour
Silence in organisations isn't agreement—it's often fear, disengagement, or quiet resistance. Exploring defensive silence and quiet quitting, the piece argues that leadership must move beyond authority toward real consensus. Listening for what's not being said is essential for trust, effective decisions, and a culture where people truly speak up.Another day, another meeting, and the thrumming monotony was broken by something which is commonplace when there is no consensus—silence. The moment put me in mind of the French composer Claude Debussy (1862–1918) who observed: ‘Music is the silence between the notes.’ Yet in an organisational context, silence is seldom music and never golden. This rule is evident when people are in accord, particularly in a room full of influences, as you will witness the social types tripping over their own tongues in an effort to agree and to be seen to be agreeing.
As an academic at heart, this always strikes me as odd, because if I agree with something a small incline of the head is sufficient to show my support. When I think the argument being presented is, to use a technical term, a load of bollox, then a vociferous rebuttal is in order. As this swirling mass of ideas took me tumbling down a rabbit hole, I was brought sharply back to the present by the meeting convener who said: “well, we are all agreed.” Realising agreement had not been reached, I weighed in and scribbled a hasty note to pen an article about silence in organisations.
Reframing Organisational Silence
Silence in organisational contexts is often misunderstood as apathy or passive agreement. In contrast to principle qui tacet consentire videtur (lit. ‘he who is silent is taken to agree’ or silence is assent), silence in organisational settings is often deeply strategic, emotional, and political. Far from passive, silence may be used defensively to avoid negative repercussions, to disengage from flawed processes, or to express dissent without confrontation.
Organisational silence can be defined as the conscious withholding of opinions, concerns, or feedback about organisational problems or issues. Its two primary forms—defensive and acquiescent silence—signal different but equally troubling employee experiences. Defensive silence stems from fear of negative consequences, whereas acquiescent silence is driven by resignation or futility.
More recently, the popular discourse around ‘quiet quitting’ has brought these issues out into the open. While sometimes mischaracterised as laziness, quiet quitting—doing only what one is paid for and nothing more—reflects a deliberate withdrawal from discretionary effort . It is, in essence, a silent renegotiation of the psychological contract when employees perceive management as inattentive, exploitative, or unresponsive.
This reappraisal of silence as agency challenges common assumptions in management and organisational theory. Voice and silence are not merely opposites but are shaped by different psychological and contextual factors. The suppression of voice is often a rational act of self-protection in the face of perceived power imbalances and cultures of fear.
Critically, silence is not equally distributed across organisational hierarchies. Employees at lower levels or those from marginalised groups often experience higher risks when speaking up and thus may be more likely to engage in silence as a survival strategy. This unequal distribution undermines the legitimacy of decisions based on an apparent lack of objection. The absence of overt dissent should not be mistaken for consensus—it may in fact signal a culture of suppression.
The Organisational Cost of Silence
The presence of widespread silence can corrode an organisation’s culture, distort decision-making, and hinder the capacity to learn and adapt. Elizabeth Wolfe Morrison and Frances Milliken rightly identified silence as a collective phenomenon with systemic consequences: when employees consistently withhold input, organisations become less effective at detecting problems, innovating, or responding to change.
This effect has become more visible in the wake of increased attention to employee engagement. Silence is significantly associated with lower organisational commitment and trust in management. When employees feel that their input is ignored, or worse, punished, they are less likely to invest emotionally or cognitively in their work. Instead, they retreat—physically or psychologically.
Moreover, organisational silence impairs the quality of decision-making. Deliberative, evidence-based management relies on the open exchange of perspectives, data, and experience. When silence prevails, decisions are made with incomplete information, often by managers surrounded by false consensus or sycophancy. This results in a phenomenon sometimes referred to as ‘decision-making under silence’, which heightens the risk of failure due to blind spots, groupthink, or untested assumptions.
Silence can also reflect and reinforce problematic management practices. Authoritarian or overly hierarchical management styles, which rely on positional authority rather than reasoned deliberation, persuasion or consensus-building, are especially vulnerable to silence cultures. In such settings, managers may equate compliance with commitment, failing to realise that initiatives are being quietly resisted or ignored. This is particularly damaging in change management contexts, where alignment and buy-in are essential.
The emergence of ‘strategic silence’ as a form of passive resistance illustrates how employees express disapproval not through active protest but through passive withdrawal. This form of resistance undermines organisational initiatives from within—not through sabotage, but through disengagement and non-participation. When management fails to recognise these signals, silence becomes entrenched.
From Authority to Consensus
To respond effectively to organisational silence, managers must rethink both how they exercise authority and how they understand consensus. Traditional management models, particularly transactional or authoritarian forms, often misread silence as compliance or agreement. This misreading creates a dangerous illusion of consensus—what scholars have called a ‘false positive’ of engagement.
Instead, management must become deliberative, inclusive, and contextually aware. Psychological safety—the belief that one can speak up without fear of retribution—is foundational to any meaningful engagement with silence. Managers must create conditions where dissent is not just tolerated but actively solicited and rewarded.
Building such cultures requires more than open-door policies. It demands systemic efforts to flatten hierarchies of voice. This includes mechanisms such as anonymous feedback channels, regular listening forums, and shared governance models. More importantly, it requires a shift in management identity—from commander to facilitator, from decider to convener.
A promising framework in this regard is ‘voice-enabling management’, which combines role-modelling of voice behaviour, reinforcing norms of candour, and actively coaching team members to express concerns constructively. Voice-enabling managers recognise that silence may be rational, even justified, and that rebuilding trust takes time and consistency.
Moreover, consensus-building must be distinguished from consensus-assuming. True consensus arises through deliberation, inclusion, and mutual understanding—not from the absence of voiced opposition. In environments where silence is common, managers must interrogate not only what is being said, but also what is not.
One practical implication is the need for management training that emphasises interpretive skills—learning to read organisational silences as signals of risk rather than signs of agreement. This includes attention to micro-behaviours in meetings (e.g., who speaks, who stays silent), exit interviews, and discrepancies between formal feedback and informal culture.
Additionally, managers must model vulnerability. When senior figures admit mistakes, invite critique, or acknowledge uncertainty, they signal that silence is not necessary for survival. Such management models foster conversational spaces where dissent is valued as a contribution, not a threat.
Finally, organisations must link voice to impact. Employees are more likely to speak up when they believe their input will lead to action. The voice-to-change relationship is essential: it reinforces the idea that engagement matters, and that silence is not the only rational response.
A Most Vital Competency
Silence in organisational behaviour is not a neutral absence but a powerful form of presence. Whether defensive, strategic, or disengaged, silence signals misalignment between leaders and followers, between organisational vision and lived experience. It represents a breakdown in trust, communication, and legitimacy.
Management must evolve to meet this challenge. Rather than interpret silence as assent, managers must develop the skills and systems to surface dissent, build consensus, and foster genuine engagement. This involves not only encouraging voice but also interrogating why silence persists. In this context, effective management is not about issuing directives—it is about building the conditions for collective understanding.
As organisations become more complex, diverse, and change-driven, the capacity to hear what is not being said may become the most vital management competency of all.
Good night, and good luck.
#ConsensusBuilding #DefensiveSilence #EmployeeVoice #Management #OrganisationalBehaviour #OrganisationalSilence #PsychologicalSafety #QuietQuitting #StrategicLeadership #WorkplaceCulture
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FranklinCovey's *Leading at the Speed of Trust* highlights trust as measurable, emphasising integrity, moral authority, capability, and results through 13 actionable behaviours. While trust reduces costs and enhances agility, its complexities require addressing relational and contextual factors for sustained effectiveness.
#BehaviouralIntegrity #Collaboration #Credibility #HighTrustEnvironments #Leadership #Management #OrganisationalBehaviour #OrganisationalCulture
https://robert.winter.ink/the-speed-of-higher-trust-leaders-part1/
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Narrow Band Comprehension (NBC) illustrates a significant cognitive and organisational challenge, limiting both individual and collective performance through selective understanding. By fostering a culture that promotes comprehensive engagement, integrating holistic performance metrics and enforcing governance-driven accountability, organisations can counteract the restrictive tendencies of NBC.
#CapabilityDevelopment #ManagementPsychology #OrganisationalBehaviour
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True strategy requires deep analysis, clear choices, alignment, and continuous learning. Leaders must avoid vague goals and instead create actionable, coherent plans that drive real value and competitive advantage in a complex business environment. A case study of IKEA shows how this approached was used to build a global brand.
#Strategy #Management #Leadership #OrganisationalBehaviour #TransformationJourney #CapabilityDevelopment #GrowthMindset
https://robert.winter.ink/moving-beyond-platitudes-a-strategic-imperative/
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Organizations often prioritize conformity over innovation. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang favors public feedback over traditional 1-on-1s to enhance transparency, flexibility, and productivity.
#Management #PerformanceManagement #OrganisationalBehaviour #Innovation
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Adopting a custodian mindset in management emphasises responsibility and stewardship over ownership or personal agendas. This approach fosters employee autonomy, ethical leadership, sustainable resource management, and organisational agility. Practical applications include empowerment, transparent communication, continuous learning, and the creation of ethical frameworks.
#Management #Governance #PerformanceManagement #OrganisationalBehaviour #ManagementPsychology
https://robert.winter.ink/not-my-employee-not-my-team-a-custodian-approach-to-management/
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The expression "they don't know what they don't know" reflects the challenge of unawareness and overconfidence in leadership. Managers unaware of their limitations risk making ineffective decisions, leading to financial loss and declining morale.
#Management #PerformanceManagement #OrganisationalBehaviour #ManagementPsychology
https://robert.winter.ink/the-dangers-of-leaders-who-dont-know-what-they-dont-know/
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After something of a hiatus, I am back at the keyboard and have published another column. This week I tackle the growing challenge of terminating underperforming employees. A topic that is too little discussed but, if left attended, increases risk, degrades performance, and drives top employees out of the organisation as they feel poor performance is not being properly managed.
#Management #PerformanceManagement #OrganisationalBehaviour #LegalChallenges
https://robert.winter.ink/the-growing-challenge-of-terminating-underperforming-employees/
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This is the first article in a series looking at the importance of learning from history and the value this can have for decision-making in organisations. However, there is also a warning from history.
#DecisionMaking #History #Leadership #ForPurpose #Strategy #OrganisationalBehaviour #CapabilityDevelopment #TransformationJourney
https://robert.winter.ink/look-there-is-a-tiger-in-that-grass/
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This week I look at how AI is improving the quality of writing in business reports, but also the way in which it poses a challenge for evaluating a report's content and logic.
Ultimately, decision makers should be more informed, critical, and aware of the potential limitations and biases of AI.
#DecisionMaking #Management #OrganisationalBehaviour #CapabilityDevelopment #TransformationJourney
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While a fixed mindset can lead to toxic workplace behaviours and stagnation, a growth mindset tends to foster empowerment, collaboration, and innovation. Misconceptions regarding growth mindset abound and require we balance growth with the fixed mindset which competes in us all.
#Management #OrganisationalBehaviour #CapabilityDevelopment
https://robert.winter.ink/fixed-and-growth-twin-aspects-of-our-mindset/
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The process of incremental improvements over time, inspired by the Japanese concept of *Kaizen*, has the capability to unlock enormous latent potential. It does this by emphasising the need to shift from seeking quick wins to focusing on small, continuous changes. This approach, rooted in the 1% principle, leads to significant long-term progress in personal and professional endeavours.
#OrganisationalBehaviour #CapabilityDevelopment #GrowthMindset #TransformationJourney
https://robert.winter.ink/day-by-day-nothing-seems-to-change/
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Context is king in the employment landscape when trying to effectively position for an unknowable future. Though work is about the organisation's interests rather than solely the employee's, unless employees and employers act in good faith and in the best interest of the organisation, vested interests and chaos will be the result.
#DecisionMaking #Governance #Management #OrganisationalBehaviour
https://robert.winter.ink/disconnected-expectations-why-managers-and-employees-struggle-to-agree/
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A friend of mine often remarks, "I'm not always right, but I'm never wrong." This sums up the problem with the prevailing view about what 'being right' means. It preferences outcomes over inputs.
Something which explains why morally bad, and arguably criminal negligent, behaviour in politicians and business leaders is consistently rewarded. At least until their *success* comes to an abrupt halt.
#DecisionMaking #OrganisationalBehaviour #CapabilityDevelopment
https://robert.winter.ink/being-right-a-lot-an-inputs-approach/
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Once we **stop** seeing an organisation as an *entity* separate from stakeholders and **start** seeing an organisation as a *complex social system* comprised of stakeholders, the role of governance in shaping and maintaining a healthy culture emerges.
#Governance #OrganisationalBehaviour #CapabilityDevelopment
https://robert.winter.ink/governance-achieving-a-healthy-organisational-culture/
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The critical error that line managers and boards make in assessing their strategic options regarding sunk costs is in thinking that the need to cut a failing project is only obvious in hindsight.
#ManagementPsychology #OrganisationalBehaviour #CapabilityDevelopment
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Unlike the neat conclusions found in many of the articles already produced, or as common sense would suggest, it is not so simple as 'just cut your losses'. Therefore, the question remains: when a line manager has a program where the costs are outweighing the benefits, why do they continue to persist with the program?
#ManagementPsychology #Management #OrganisationalBehaviour #CapabilityDevelopment #GrowthMindset #Value #OrganisationalChange #TransformationJourney
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I have long been at odds with much of the prevailing organisational culture when it comes to written documents. Call me out of touch with GenMe, but I like critical thinking. I enjoy a well written document. I think that actual research is necessary for a well-formed argument. I think major decisions should have a solid brief.
#OrganisationalBehaviour #CapabilityDevelopment #OrganisationalChange #PsychologicalSafety #TimeManagement #MeetingPlanning #MeetingProfessionals
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If key employees outside the charmed circle of the ELT / SLT are not involved in the decision making process, recognising and rewarding success will do little to motivate teams.
#Leadership #Management #OrganisationalBehaviour #CapabilityDevelopment
https://robert.winter.ink/managing-control-and-leading-motivation/
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When alignment and planning are conjoined, the process releases untapped potential. This is because a leader-manager is energising people by unlocking feelings of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. An approach that ultimately leads to greater wellness.
#Leadership #Management #OrganisationalBehaviour #CapabilityDevelopment #OrganisationalChange #TransformationJourney
https://robert.winter.ink/aligning-and-organising-its-all-about-people/
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Planning and strategy have the same relationship as management and leadership. One is not a substitute for the other and each is most effective when complementing the other. Competent planning is a vital reality check on exuberant strategy, and sound strategy gives planning the direction to bring about change.
#Leadership #Management #OrganisationalBehaviour #CapabilityDevelopment #GrowthMindset #Value #OrganisationalChange #TransformationJourney #PsychologicalSafety
https://robert.winter.ink/strategic-direction-versus-initiative-planning/
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When Line Managers lack the hard skills of process design and implementation, the capacity to initiate changes in procedure, or the ability to write sound policy, and instead try to *lead* their team to success by hiring or co-opting other managers in the business to solve their problems, an engine of chaos is created.
#Leadership #Management #OrganisationalBehaviour #CapabilityDevelopment #OrganisationalChange #TransformationJourney #PsychologicalSafety
https://robert.winter.ink/leading-change-and-managing-complexity/
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In last week’s column, I observed it is essentially impossible for managers to be in all the collaboration activities with which their team engage.
The fix is **not** for the formal leader to be in ever more meetings, taking ever more decisions, at an ever more detailed level. Rather, the fix comes in the form of empowering people without positional authority to take on informal leadership.
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After a hiatus on my column, I am back. Back from holiday, back from injury, back from illness. It's good to be back.
This week is part one in a two article foray into informal leadership. The motivation is that even with an effective and open hierarchy in place, informal leadership is critical to organisational efficiency and success.
#Leadership #Management #OrganisationalBehaviour #CapabilityDevelopment #GrowthMindset #OrganisationalChange #PsychologicalSafety
https://robert.winter.ink/the-boundaries-of-informal-leadership/
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You can have high performing teams with deep hierarchies, so long as there is an open model to knowledge access. But when knowledge hiding goes on, hierarchies tend to erode team performance.
#Leadership #Management #OrganisationalBehaviour #CapabilityDevelopment #GrowthMindset #Value #OrganisationalChange #TransformationJourney #PsychologicalSafety
https://robert.winter.ink/are-hierarchies-healthy-for-organisations/
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Coaching is most effective when conceived of as an organisational capability and capacity. That is when coaching goes beyond a managerial skill and manifests in the cultural transformation of becoming a learning and development led organisation.
#Leadership #Management #OrganisationalBehaviour #CapabilityDevelopment #GrowthMindset #Value #OrganisationalChange #TransformationJourney #PsychologicalSafety
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In a recent column, I penned some thoughts on 'A Psychological Safety Primer'. This week I go beyond those basics and outline some of the essentials for managers to engender not only a safer, but also a higher-performing work environment.
#Leadership #Management #OrganisationalBehaviour #CapabilityDevelopment #TransformationJourney #PsychologicalSafety
https://robert.winter.ink/leading-psychological-safety-in-teams/
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Ever finished the working day and felt the weight of the world is on your shoulders? Worse, it's 9 am on Monday morning and you feel so tired it should be 5 pm on Friday afternoon? You are not alone. Yet solidarity in how tiring work can be does not achieve much, can foster a desire for the excessive alcohol consumption, purchasing of lottery tickets, and simply perpetuate the spiral. Surely, there must be a better way!
#Leadership #Management #OrganisationalBehaviour
https://robert.winter.ink/recovery-experiences-and-your-mood-at-work/