This is the first of two posts to coincide with this week’s Scottish Fair Work Festival 2026.
Fair work is defined as “work that offers all individuals an effective voice, opportunity, security, fulfilment and respect”. Effective voice is one of the 5 dimensions of the Fair Work Framework.
Why am I writing about this? My background is in organisational communications and engagement, but even with 20 years experience, there were times when effective voice felt like a nebulous concept; part of everything and yet difficult to get hold of. What I take from my experience is that, at its heart, effective voice is about creating space for listening and thinking. In my coaching I see how much people need that, and often are not finding it in their workplace. Here are my reflections and practical takeaways for people – whether you are currently in a role as an employee, manager or leader.
Effective voice needs effective listening
Listening to understand the other person’s contribution is not the same as listening to agree or to find the point of weakness you can rebut. I fully hold my hands up here! I’ve made some bad mistakes at times, pursuing a point when I should have asked a question. But then I also try not to judge myself too harshly (anymore).
I’ve also been in situations where I had something important to say and either couldn’t or didn’t. Sometimes I couldn’t because people were talking but not listening. Sometimes I didn’t because I’d lost the belief it would make any difference.
Listening to understand takes practice – getting curious, suspending judgement, asking questions, offering observations without being attached to the outcome. Once I let go of the need to provide the perfect answer, this all got a whole lot more enjoyable. And when I found ways to add my voice even when it was difficult, I was glad I did.
Effective thinking
Slowing down enough to listen well can feel counterintuitive when there is so much to do. Many of us (especially in for-purpose organisations) are do-ers and fixers, activists, and highly conscientious. But creating an effective thinking environment leads to better quality decisions and results. It also leads to people feeling more heard, and therefore more engaged at work.
Nancy Kline’s booking ‘Time to Think’ is my go-to resource on this topic (and I’ve linked to it in other posts and in presentations).
I love it for its simplicity and its humanity. I think its a call to action – to slow down, to listen and to allow ourselves to hear one another.
The quality of everything we do depends on the quality of the thinking we do first.
The quality of our thinking depends on the way we treat each other while we are thinking. ~ Nancy Kline
The Ten Components – Time to Think
Effective voice in challenging times
Read my second post on this topic
Support to nurture effective voice in organisations
If you are leading a team or an organisation, and need support to improve communication, bring employee voice into your day to day work and build a stronger workplace culture, I’d love to talk to you.
Here is a bit more about what I offer: For organisations
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
