Identifying key system wide challenges facing HR colleagues and the workforce in organisations In this session, targeted towards HRD’s, we’re delighted to welcome Solace and John Higgins.Solace bring a fascinating perspective on what CEX’s are looking for in their HRD’s. John, a recognised expert is well placed to talk about the importance of speaking truth to power. It’s a challenging topic but arguably the ability of a HRD to speak truth to power is critical for the overall health of an organisation.

1. Speaking Truth to Power
- silence kills…
May 14th 2019
John Higgins – Research Director The Right Conversation & Research Partner of Ashridge
(johnhigginsw6@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/john-Higgins-1058491b)

2. “A powerful book on an important topic. Speak Up helps
us understand the subtle elements that contribute to our
holding back valuable ideas and observations. Their
TRUTH framework – which is as practical as it is rigorous
– identifies essential elements to help individuals find
their voice”. Amy Edmondson, Professor, Harvard
Business School

3. 3. Personal Feelings About Power
4. The TRUTH Framework (Mnemonic)
1. Provenance
2. Hot Data
5. Getting Transparency onto the Agenda

4. A research study begun in 2014 into ‘Speaking truth to
power’ – John Higgins & Professor Megan Reitz
• June 2019: FT Pearson/FT Publishing ‘Speak up: Say what needs to be said
and hear what needs to be heard’
• Harvard Business Review 2017/18 (With Ben Fuchs)
• Do you have advantage blindness?
• The problem with saying my door is always open
• 5 questions to ask before you call out someone more powerful
• Ashridge Research Reports 2017 and 2019
• Being silenced and silencing others: Developing the capacity to speak
truth to power
• Speaking truth to power: Interim survey results into how people are
silenced and silence others at work

5. Six ‘hot’ stories from an analysis of 1,752 responses to 2018/19
survey
1. Rank (hierarchy) matters… the more senior you are the more you speak
up… and think others do as well
2. Formality silences… people, especially women and juniors, feel most
guarded during formal work meetings
3. Two basic fears stop people speaking up… fear of being perceived
negatively… fear of upsetting others

6. 4. Good things happen to senior people… much more than juniors if they
raise an idea
5. Approachability matters… an unapproachable boss undermines
employee open-ness
6. People deny their prejudice… people, especially seniors, are apparently
unaffected by gender or race bias

7. Personal
Feelings
About
Power
It’s all about POWER and RELATIONSHIPS
(
. .
(
. .

8. Who are you in the picture?
What type of power is
present? Is it ‘good’ or ‘bad’?
Pictures courtesy of Julian Burton of Delta 7

9. Who or what is playing what role?
What type of power is
present?
Pictures courtesy of Julian Burton of Delta 7

10. What’s power in the service of?
What’s in the shadow?
Pictures courtesy of Julian Burton of Delta 7

11. When do you feel powerful and able to speak your
truth? When do you feel powerless?
How do you make others feel powerful and able to
speak their truth? How do you make others feel
powerless?

12. Trust
Risk
Understanding
Titles
How

13. Pictures courtesy of Julian Burton of Delta 7

14. Pictures courtesy of Julian Burton
of Delta 7

15. Pictures courtesy of Julian Burton
of Delta 7

16. Pictures courtesy of Julian Burton of Delta 7

17. Pictures courtesy of Julian Burton of Delta 7
What titles/labels get put on you?
What titles/labels do you put on others?
How does this shape what gets said and
heard?

18. Pictures courtesy of Julian Burton of Delta 7

19. Pictures courtesy of Julian Burton of Delta 7
What are the limits to a rules based
approach to language and
relationships?
OR
When is a process not the answer?

20. Trust – in your opinion and the opinion of others
Risk – of speaking up or of being spoken up to
Understanding – of the politics, games and agendas
Titles – that get put on you and you put on others
How – to choose the right words, right time, right place

21. Getting ‘Truth to Power’ on the Agenda
1. This is ‘old’ news and a bit of a no-brainer… no one wants to be the next big
name in the headlines BUT….
2. … speaking truthfully about power to those who have it is a risky, political
act… or as Sam Goldwyn put it: ‘… I want everybody to tell me the truth
even if it costs them their job’
3. So we spend money on ‘courageous conversation’ training for the junior
staff – rather than ask senior people to look in the mirror of their own
advantage… and how it silences others
4. Sadly, you probably need a number…

22. Four dimensions behind a possible number…
• Safety - how psychologically safe is it to speak up? What are the
consequences?
• Action - does senior management act on what it hears?
• Voice- are employees at all levels actively invited to use their
‘voice’?
• Flow - do insights and experiences get freely shared up and down
the hierarchy?

23. The pilot ‘Speak Up Index’
generates a ‘score’ for each of the
four dimensions as well as an
overall ‘Speak Up’ number for the
organisation

24. • Silence kills
• The hot stories
• Hierarchy matters
• We are human all too human
• Your personal feelings about power
shape what you see and hear about
power
• The TRUTH is out there
• You may need a useful measure
johnhigginsw6@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/john-Higgins-1058491b/