S5E1: Speaking Up for Safety in the Workplace feat. Amelia Stillwell
27m | Sep 28, 2023This season, we are exploring the experience of women in the workplace. We are going to hear from a lot of powerhouse women in a lot of different industries, sharing their own challenges and their tips and advice for overcoming the roadblocks women often face in the workplace.
But today, we are going to zoom out a bit and talk about the workplace more generally. Joining Host Frances Johnson today is Amelia Stillwell, assistant professor of management at the David Eccles School of Business. Her research focuses on the norms and stereotypes that maintain group distinctions inequality.
Listen as they chat about her research related to voice in the workplace and how it influences inclusivity and psychological safety for marginalized groups.
Eccles Business Buzz is a production of the David Eccles School of Business and is produced by University FM.
Episode Quotes:
Amplifying diversity
20:43: You can get more creativity and innovation if you have a culture that facilitates that open sharing where people feel like they'll be supported, even if they take a bit of a risk in making a new suggestion. But on the other hand, if it's not a culture that's conducive to that open sharing, those different points of view can create negative conflict, personal conflict between people that's more harmful than helpful.
The importance of psychological safety in the workplace
05:41: People have to feel that it's safe to take risks in their organization to put themselves out there. Otherwise, they're going to be less inclined to speak up because they're going to feel like that'll come back on me.
Why you should call people in instead of calling them out
05:41: What you often get when you publicly shame people is defensiveness. They don't even think twice. They're not thinking critically about the points you're making. It's kind of an emotional reaction to a perceived threat. Because no one wants to feel like a bad person, focusing on growth, being a good-ish person, the best you can each day, and improving each day is more effective as a call-in strategy for getting people to change their behavior going forward.
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