The Voices You Ignore Are Trying to Save You – Your Shot of Fearless Culture #373
Where change agents find their weekly dose of culture insights and exercises, one topic at a time.
Ignore them at your own peril.
In coal mines, canaries were early warning systems.
They didn’t yell. They didn’t demand. They just stopped singing – and when they did, it meant something was seriously wrong.
Today, your organization has its own canaries.
They’re the ones who speak up early. Spot trouble before it becomes a crisis. Ask uncomfortable questions. Raise red flags no one wants to see.
They’re not always the loudest. But they’re often the wisest.
And far too often, they’re ignored, silenced, or punished.
Reflect on your organization:
Are we listening to warning voices? Or are we punishing the people trying to help us breathe?
Explore this week’s newsletter:
My latest article → Modern Canaries: The Voices Your Organization Needs the Most
Join our global culture pulse
Practical tools and prompts to listen to the voices you need the most
Stay fearless, my friend.
Gustavo
PS, thank you for your support, I just hit #16 in rising business newsletters in Substack 📈
In Case You Missed It
→ Conversational Debt: The Hidden Cost of Avoidance
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Ask Your Team This
What are the warning signs we’re ignoring?
⚠️ Give It a Try
Overcome harmonious silence - when we stay quiet to protect relationships or be a team player.
As a team, list all the unspoken rules that encourage being “nice” over being “honest.”
Examples: Don’t challenge leadership in meetings. Don’t ruin the mood with feedback. Be positive - or be quiet. This is how we’ve always done it.
Then discuss: Which of these serve us? Which hold us back?
Choose one rule and rewrite it together.
🍦 Feed Your Curiosity
To build a healthy workplace, you need a toxic culture alarm
Why employees stay silent when they see warning signs
Silencing a colleague was easy, but also the wrong choice
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Understand the four types of culture – and which is yours
Map your culture across multiple teams and how to consolidate it into one canvas
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Assess each of the building blocks of the Canvas
Define and prioritize actions for each of the building blocks
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Do you want to build a fearless culture?
Gustavo Razzetti
CEO, Fearless Culture