What is the Sound of Silence?
Over the years you have probably seen many lists of ground rules for meetings. They typically include: starting and ending on time, no pagers or cell phones, no side conversations, and only one person talks at a time. A recent addition is: “silence is acceptance.”
Does that strike a chord with you? Are you one of those people who don’t speak up in meetings? Do you have employees who don’t participate in the discussion or decision-making? Does silence really mean that you agree with the team’s decision? If you don’t agree, will you actively support the decision once it’s announced?
Silence is often a result of:
- Fear – being afraid to show your ignorance or misunderstanding
- Distrust – concern that the information will not be confidential or used appropriately
- Lack of interest – little or no commitment to the team or its objectives
- Lack of attention – multi-tasking during the meeting so that you are unprepared to participate in the “vote”
The long-term problem with equating silence to agreement is the risk of team members who are not acting as champions for the initiatives implemented by the team. They give minimal lip service to the team’s decisions but there may be a severe diffusion of responsibility or lack of accountability. You’ll hear “that’s what they decided.” The message is clear….blame them, not me. As a result, support for the process/ program is undermined or compromised.
Therefore, despite the potential appeal of “silence is acceptance” or “speak now or forever hold your peace,” it’s important to ensure that everyone on the team has a say in the final decision. Maybe better ground rules are “everyone participates” and “everyone is accountable for the team’s success.” It’s then up to the entire team to make sure all members express their ideas and reach a true consensus so that the objectives can be achieved.
If you are interested in learning more about running effective meetings, please contact Kammy Haynes.
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