258. When Power Talks, People Walk: Why Leaders Don’t Hear What Matters Most

Why it’s critical to say what needs to be said — and listen when others do the same.

Speak out, listen up — these are Megan Reitz’s core pillars of workplace communication. According to her, healthy organizations are only possible when everyone can say what they think, and they know they’ll be heard.

Reitz is an academic and author whose work focuses on creating workplaces where all voices are heard and valued. Her latest book, Speak Out, Listen Up, explores the power dynamics that shape our communication at work and beyond. “Conversational habits define organizational success and our capacity to flourish,” she says. “Ethical conduct depends on what we're able to say and what we aren't, and whether we're heard or not. Innovation depends on our capacity to speak up, challenge, and disrupt, and whether that is heard or not. And of course, our engagement and our ability to perform depends on a feeling that our opinion is valued and that we're respected.”

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Reitz and host Matt Abrahams discuss how to create workplaces where every voice is heard. From her T.R.U.T.H. framework (trust, risk, understanding, titles, and how-to) to the pitfalls of communicational power dynamics, Reitz’s insights reveal why healthy organizations are only possible when we all speak out and listen up.

Episode Reference Links:

• Megan Reitz
• Megan’s Book: Speak Out, Listen Up
• Ep.132 Lean Into Failure: How to Make Mistakes That Work
• Ep.148 Conviction and Compassion: How to Have Hard Conversations

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• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:19) - The TRUTH Framework
• (05:30) - Status, Titles, and Voice
• (09:19) - Power Traps For Leaders
• (14:04) - Mindful Leadership = Habit Change
• (18:33) - The Final Three Questions
• (26:26) - Conclusion

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