The phrase “I keep quiet because I’m a professional” can mean many different things. Sometimes a person chooses the right moment to speak up. Sometimes they lack the facts. And sometimes they know that speaking up will jeopardize their job.
That’s why it’s not enough to simply urge employees to be braver. Management must demonstrate what happens when someone points out that a decision is wrong.
If a warning is labeled insubordination but the problem remains, people learn that staying silent is safer. Later, we call this silence “comfort,” even though the company created it through its own reactions.
Professionalism means speaking up when we see something, yet also listening to warnings we may not like. We must verify the facts, clarify who decides, and agree on what will be done.
The company doesn’t benefit much from open communication in a presentation if, in actual conversations, people are still afraid to say, “This won’t work.”
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