To think that being outspoken is always an advantage at work?

[MyHeartyBlueShaker]

I’ve noticed that the people who get ahead at work tend to be the ones who aren’t afraid to speak up - whether it’s sharing their opinions in meetings, advocating for themselves or pushing back when needed. It seems like confidence and assertiveness are rewarded, while quieter people can get overlooked.

But is being outspoken always an advantage? Or can it sometimes backfire - like if you challenge the wrong person or come across as too pushy? I’d love to hear others’ experiences. Do you think speaking up is the key to success or does it depend on the workplace and how you go about it?

Nope, wasn’t me

I’m sure it can go wrong if you’re outspoken but also ill-informed / not very bright etc.

But I think if you’re good at your job and outspoken then yes, you’ll probably do better. And the odd backfire is probably outweighed by the benefits. (Not very good at it myself though!)

I don't know if it's being outspoken maybe I would reframe it in terms of visibility and people knowing who you are. My work everyone is based in different offices and locations so we have teams calls. In the big meetings it is very noticable who have cameras on and who don't and it's seniors who do this. My manager notes who does and who doesn't! Also I make a concerted effort to champion and showcase my work and my team's work, if you don't who does?

In the workplace or everywhere, most women should be more assertive and lose out by not doing so.

IME being outspoken as a man goes down well. Being outspoken as a woman has more of a mixed response. Depressing but it’s what I have seen.

Also it depends on what you mean by outspoken. Willing to state a view in a meeting = good thing. Criticising the company = not such a good thing.

From experience, I would say that the people who get ahead at work are the ones who look for opportunities to take on more responsibility. Typically, they will have shown their interest and ability by contributing in meetings, analysing strategy and suggesting ways to improve effectiveness and efficiency.

I have known colleagues who 'speak up' with intelligent suggestions but have no interest in managing others, so have not applied for any promoted positions.

I think it depends if your face fits or you are part of the in crowd.

Outspoken and your face fits, you get everything.
Outspoken and your face doesn’t fit, you get ostracised.

There's a middle ground. Pick your battles.

Being outspoken in certain circumstances would be useful, especially if you're sensible and intelligent with it. However, you do need to know when to shut up and listen to other people.

Being assertive (in the right circumstances) might prove to be more useful in the workplace for most people.

When Primark changed the design of a popular trench coat to remove the back slit and save money on manufacturing costs, sales remained stable in most countries but fell sharply in the Netherlands. A junior shop assistant wrote to management to point out that without the back slit, you could not cycle in that coat.

They changed the design back for the coats destined for the Netherlands and sales recovered.

Is that shop assistant being "outspoken"?

Having good ideas and sharing them is beneficial to business. That shop assistant was invited to spend some time working at the HQ to discuss the change being proposed and work with the team to ensure it was a success so they got a beneficial work experience that helped them climb the career ladder.

A quiet person who noticed but never said anything has not helped the business so rightly isn't getting the benefits that the shop assistant who spoke up did.

https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1915663/jpmorgan-amazon-bring-back-staff-suggestion-boxes-%E2%80%93-companies-follow-suit

The key difference is being right or being able to back up what your outspoken about.

Being outspoken for all the reasons in your first paragraph requires a knowledge of yourself, your sphere, your area, your expertise, your abilities etc. It's all got to be based on a solid foundation.

The reason that being outspoken can backfire is if you don't have this foundation, or it's based in lies or inconsistency. No use being standing up for something, putting yourself in the firing line when someone can cut your argument to the core with something you said being found to be incorrect. Those people are the ones who become known as idiots... IMO

Depends on the employer. What do they value?

It can’t really be a surprise that people who are vocal and engaged are perceived more positively.

Theres obviously a line - being blunt, loud, obnoxious, opinionated, aggressive, are all bad. But there’s a happy middle ground between that and being a wallflower.

I think undoubtedly those people who are outspoken are noticed more and are therefore more likely to get ahead. It does depend though. I'm very outspoken, never shy away from giving my opinion and contribute to all discussions. Where it gets a bit muddy for me though is my accent (council estate, working class) and that accent making sure my voice is heard at the table, along with also being a woman, among mainly men who are at least middle class and often have been privately educated, can trigger an allergic reaction. There's an assumption you're hotheaded or unable to filter your thoughts, the same sensibility never being applied to the men I refer to. I've seen it dozens of times in my career. So yes I think it can get you ahead in the main but for me, combined with other factors, I don't always think it's done me any favours.

I am rarely outspoken, but did become so once on an issue that was being handled just plain incorrectly - to the point of not abiding by certain rules. I raised it in a meeting and was told to follow manager instructions, followed it up to check my info separately with others, and re-raised it via mail - downright refused (but very politely) to follow said instruction. I was right and it was eventually done how I thought it should be in the first place - others stepped in.
I can assure you it didn't help me 'get on' and just marked me out as a bit of a nuisance I think!
I think being outspoken could help but with a caveat - as long as you're shouting about stuff management like eg/ sorting staff out, new method to get more output, etc etc - obviously this depends on the business policies, maybe they like their staff and would want more well-being.

Assertive and confident can be good but outspoken sometimes = rude and unpopular

Generally I would agree but it depends on what you actually say!

Standing up for yourself/others, making sure your and your teams achievements and contributions are recognised, challenging opponents appropriately (I'm a lawyer in case anyone thinks I go around having random arguments!) These are all positive ways of being outspoken.

However, I've also noticed some loud colleagues who jabber on and don't actually listen to client instructions and concerns. And others who can be very aggressive when speaking to colleagues. Those are not good things. My boss has told me in confidence that he is reluctant to promote someone like this as her behaviour is borderline bullying despite being pulled up on it. She is technically brilliant but her outspokenness has definitely compromised her career.

I think it depends what your definition of outspoken is. I think what’s more important is knowing how to read the room and responding to that.

Yeah I've found mixed responses, even for the same incident.

In my experience, most outspoken people at my work are sharing their thoughts and ideas. This comes across as enthusiasm and looking for opportunities. The quiet people might be having equally as good ideas, but if they aren't brave enough to share them, they won't come across in the same way! I think it's perfectly possible to be a "quiet leader" though, and there's lots of resources on this online.

There is also space to create a culture where people feel confident to express an opinion. But if by quiet you mean more like passive, I think that will slow down your progression for sure.

No, I am, but my previous boss definitely preferred people who were quiet, agreeable and ‘yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir’ types. He couldn’t cope with anybody thinking for themselves or heaven forbid suggesting an intelligent way of doing something, everything had to be his idea, regardless of the merits of the idea. He would shamelessly take credit for other people’s ideas, including my own, and pass them off as his own at a later date. He generally took everything way too personally 😂

People struggle to differentiate between confident and competent so certainly if you know what you are talking about be confident about it - as many people will blather on with no idea

Aggression and “well is had to be said” offensive types is not what I have in mind

Some expect their brilliance to be magically recognized despite never talking or raising any attention to what they have done or sharing ideas or volunteering - the resentful walllflower approach is not a good strategy as most people aren’t thinking about you as much as you think they are

Depends. Outspoken = annoying blowhard, a negative impact.
Speaking up more broadly when combined with good listening and comprehension skills is a gold dust skillset.

In my experience it’s people who keep their head down, nod along with senior management and don’t support their staff against anyone more senior than them who get ahead at work. Never mind what their team might be experiencing - they’re certainly not going to put their head above the parapet for you.

Are you sure you mean outspoken? Being an aurguementative loud mouth isn't usually a recipe for progression

If you mean speaking then it depends what you're saying, it's too nuanced to for a definitive answer