1. Is Silence Killing Your Company?
Silence starts when we choose not to confront a difference
Easier to cover up differences than to discuss them
Pressure for unanimity
Pressure from differences in rank
Silence as a strategy to get ahead
Costs of silence
Silence does not resolve differences, just pushes them under the surface
Don’t speak up for fear of destroying relationships, but in the end silence creates an emotional distance that can create an unbridgeable rift.

2. Breaking the silence
Leader: be careful not to punish people for speaking out, particularly on issues that may be difficult for the organization to deal with
Create a context where the expression of difference is valued
Avoid blame and focus on the larger shared problem: see the example of Harry the commander
Recognize your own power to express yourself and encourage others to speak freely
Present new information in a way the other person can absorb
Act Deviantly
Purposeful deviance is a creative act
Build a coalition