Many Russian employees have at least once kept silent about serious problems that have arisen at work. Usually the reason for this behavior is fear of a negative reaction from the manager. Georgy Melik-Eganov, leading business consultant at SmartValues, told Izvestia about this.
According to experts, many employees are afraid to talk about difficulties at work for fear of consequences. Due to lack of psychological safety, people avoid open dialogue, preferring to discuss issues informally. As a result, they get used to difficulties and begin to see them as inevitable.
The consultant emphasized that over time, more and more problems remain unresolved, leading to a systemic crisis that the leadership recognizes too late. Then there is a gap between the manager and the implementer.
Experts note that a culture of silence has a destructive impact not only on business processes, but also on employees themselves. People develop feelings of helplessness, causing them to become emotionally distant or constantly stressed.
“A 'victim position' emerges: energy is devoted not to development but to self-defense. Employees begin to ignore the rules if complying with them threatens conflict or requires uncomfortable conversations,” the expert explains.
Additionally, fear of making mistakes increases imposter syndrome even among experienced people, and the need to maintain a cheerful appearance often leads to burnout. At the same time, for managers, their own miscalculations are tantamount to “losing face”.
According to the consultant, the skill of conducting complex conversations, in which opposing opinions collide and touching on sensitive topics, will help build psychological safety.
In the past, Russians were equipped with skills that kept them from being fired at work.
