When you hesitate—A shot of fearless culture #429
Your weekly dose of culture insights and exercises, one topic at a time.
Speaking up is a calculation.
But most of us are doing the wrong math.
It’s okay (actually healthy) to reflect before we speak. But something else happens during those seconds.
Our brain quickly weighs the benefits of speaking against the risks. The issue is that we often perceive the potential pain as twice as intense as the benefits. The risks feel more concrete.
So we stay quiet.
The problem is not the calculation. It’s that we’re focusing on the wrong thing. We get so fixated on short-term risks that we ignore the long-term impact.
Not engaging has bigger consequences.
Work is full of defining moments. The choice to speak up or stay quiet feels harmless while it’s happening. But it’s not. Your choice defines who you become: a protagonist or an observer.
Don’t become a bystander unless you choose to be one.
Explore this week’s newsletter:
→ Defining Moments: The Conversations that Reveal Who We Are
→ Exercises and practical resources
Stay fearless, my friend.
Gustavo
In Case You Missed It
→ How to Deliver Bad News Without Becoming the Scapegoat
Ask Your Team This
Six months from now, what conversation will you regret not having?
⚠️ Try This - The (Not So) Worst Scenario
This exercise is for those who often get stuck considering the worst-case scenario.
Create two columns: What could go wrong? What could go right? List everything that comes to mind.
Now go back to the "What could go wrong?" column. For each item, ask: Can this be repaired if it actually happens? Can you fix it, reverse it, or minimize the damage? If yes, cross it off.
Now compare the cleaned-up “wrong” list with the “right” list. I hope this exercise helps you overcome your loss aversion bias.
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🍦 Other perspectives on the topic
How to make it safe for people to speak up at work
Defining moments: building character one decision at a time
🎙️ Change Your Conversations, Change Your Culture:
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Gustavo Razzetti
CEO, Fearless Culture
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