Silence always has something to say - it's never neutral and speaks
volumes if people are willing to hear. Our response to silence is often
to dismiss or end it, to block it out with noise. Instead, silence needs
to be taken seriously. This book explores the importance of
understanding silence and shows how we can move from merely listening to
truly hearing those around us.
The interplay of voice and silence in organisational life is not
straightforward. We can feel pressured to speak and compelled to keep
our silence. Knowing how to read silence, to make sense of its
generative and degenerative capacity, is a rarely developed skill among
managers and leaders at all levels - who have been brought up to see
silence as evidence of compliance or a weakness to be addressed. But it
is a critical skill for managers and employees alike. Written by two
experts in organisational development, this book explores different
types of silence and their implications for organisational practice,
digging into the theoretical roots and engaging with real stories and
voices. It provides everyone at work with an understanding of the
different meanings of silence and how to engage well with it. When to
stay with it, when to join in with it, and when to be struck by what's
not being said and do something about it.
The Great Unheard at Work is essential reading for corporate leaders,
HR professionals in all sectors, business students, professionals, and
anyone interested in leadership development.
