What I often hear in coaching sessions with clients is “I didn’t say anything.” They had the answer, they knew it was right, or they knew the decision being made was wrong, but they didn’t speak up. They decided to keep important and sometimes vital information to themselves to support the group norm, to be “liked”, or to not be seen as adversarial.
What I tell my clients is simple. You have a responsibility as a corporate citizen to speak up. In most cases, you were not hired to be liked, or to be complacent. You were hired because you are smart, you have a point of view, and you have an obligation to help your company be a better organization. Your voice is important.
At the end of the day you may not be heard, or you may be wrong, but without your voice nobody will know what could have been. If you want things to be better, show up and say something. Don’t let fear, or self-doubt diminish your contribution.