According to leadership experts, Karin Hurt and David Dye, businesses today NEED their employees to speak up, now more than ever.
The FOSU Issue.
Have you ever caught yourself saying “Why bother speaking up, it won’t do any good?” Or “I’ve tried saying something but no one cares. I’ll just keep my head down and do my job.”
If that sounds familiar, you are not alone. FOSU (fear of speaking up) is a growing problem in the workplace today. Research shows only 1% of employees feel “extremely confident” in expressing their ideas or concerns at work.
According to leadership experts, Karin Hurt and David Dye, businesses today NEED their employees to speak up, now more than ever.
As technology advances, many human jobs are getting automated and replaced by computers. In the coming years, machines may even render entire businesses or industries obsolete.
“In order for a business to survive the automation revolution, overcoming FOSU is crucial. What computers can’t automate and replace, is human creativity, empathy, and critical thinking,” says Dye.
Whether it is calling out a problem, offering a new idea, or suggesting a system improvement, companies benefit when employees voice their opinions. After all, challenging the status quo is what brings new thought and possibilities into the world. Unfortunately, many business leaders unintentionally discourage their employees from speaking up.
As leadership consultants, Hurt and Dye have seen the FOSU problem grow in businesses across the country. Employees don’t speak up because they are afraid of the consequences. They are worried they might get fired or that they might reveal an inadequacy,..and these fears are understandable. Many bosses become defensive and react negatively when challenged.
But in the age of automation, the need to have employees to engage in creative productive problem solving is vital. FOSU wastes time, money, and resources. Employees spend time fretting and companies lose everyday innovation.
So how can you encourage critical communication in your workplace?
“Overcoming FOSU starts with relationship building on both sides. Leaders need to build the trust and the connection that creates healthy communication and employees need to question the status quo respectfully and peacefully,” says Hurt.
“Overcoming FOSU starts with relationship building on both sides. Leaders need to build the trust and the connection that creates healthy communication and employees need to question the status quo respectfully and peacefully”
– Karin Hurt
In An Interview/Article, Karin Hurt & David Dye Can Share:
- Techniques to encourage employees to speak up
- How managers and employers can cultivate an environment of solutions-based people
- Why overcoming FOSU is crucial to survive the automation revolution
Hurt and Dye are on a mission to empower business leaders and encourage employees to have solution-based thinking. They have advice for all levels to survive the automation revolution.
ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP EXPERTS
Karin Hurt & David Dye
Karin Hurt and David Dye are internationally recognized leadership and employee engagement experts, keynote leadership speakers, trainers, and the award-winning authors of Winning Well: A Manager’s Guide to Getting Results Without Losing Your Soul. The husband and wife team are the founders of Let’s Grow Leaders, an international leadership, development, and consulting company located outside Washington D.C. Dye is a former executive and elected official with over two decades of experience leading teams, building organizations, and working with Boards of Directors to transform their effectiveness. A former Verizon Wireless executive, Hurt was named to Inc. Magazine’s list of great leadership speakers. Hurt and Dye are on a mission to help leaders across industries increase their influence, solve common leadership frustrations, and improve productivity through practical leadership inspiration.