From Harvard Business Review · · 2m
Workplace Taboos and How to Discuss Them
Leaders can create safe spaces for discussing money, politics, family, age, and fear at work.
In brief
Leaders can create safe spaces for discussing money, politics, family, age, and fear at work. Managers should address taboo topics like politics and family responsibilities to build trust and psychological safety. Originally reported by Harvard Business Review.
Quick answers
- Why Discuss Taboos?
- Discussing taboo topics with the right people creates a safe space for input and prevents decisions from being made without crucial perspectives.
- What is the key takeaway from Workplace Taboos and How to Discuss Them?
- Managers should address taboo topics like politics and family responsibilities to build trust and psychological safety.
Taboo Topics at Work
Money, politics, family responsibilities, age, ambition, and fear are topics employees avoid discussing at work.
“Money, politics, family responsibilities, age, ambition, and fear: Some of the topics that matter most to employees are the ones they feel least comfortable discussing at work.”
Impact of Avoiding Taboos
Avoiding these conversations erodes trust, undermines psychological safety, and leaves leaders making decisions without crucial information.
“But avoiding these conversations can erode trust, undermine psychological safety, and leave leaders making decisions without crucial information.”
Christina Wing's Expertise
Christina Wing, a Harvard Business School senior lecturer, author of Unspeakable: The Taboo Topics We Avoid and How to Talk About Them, advises on addressing workplace taboos.
“Wing is author of the book Unspeakable: The Taboo Topics We Avoid and How to Talk About Them.”
Why Discuss Taboos?
Discussing taboo topics with the right people creates a safe space for input and prevents decisions from being made without crucial perspectives.
“So what’s interesting is we talk about these things, but just not with the right person. And so a lot of these conversations happen in a side room or somewhere else, but not with the person that could actually affect change.”
Cultural Differences
National and corporate cultures influence how employees feel comfortable discussing sensitive topics at work.
“Well, cultural differences come into how to have the conversations, but most companies present themselves as a values-based place to work.”
Generational Shifts
Younger generations are more comfortable discussing salary and social issues, while older generations avoid these topics.
“The rising gen is very comfortable talking about certain things like their salary. They share what’s going on, but the existing generation doesn’t.”
Politics in the Workplace
Managers should address political topics like elections and tariffs to prevent decisions from being made without input.
“If you’re doing business in Egypt and the tariffs are going to go up, you need to understand that and be able to talk about the consequences of different political actions.”
Role-Playing Conversations
Managers should role-play conversations about sensitive topics to prepare for difficult discussions.
“You should role play because you really, really need to make sure it’s worth bringing up and you should choose your words very carefully.”
Recovering from Failed Conversations
If a conversation doesn’t go as planned, take a break and try again later to maintain trust.
“You know what? This is not going great right now. Why don’t we take a beat? Or, This isn’t going right now. Why don’t we both think, and can we talk about this again in two days?”
Race and Religion Discussions
Leaders should create safe spaces for discussions about race and religion to foster understanding and respect.
“I really believe in privacy and there are certain things, but if you’re keeping secrets that will affect an organization, that’s different.”
Work-Family Conflicts
Employees need to discuss work-family conflicts like elder care and fertility to avoid losing qualified workers.
“When you have a baby, it’s celebrated. 75% of our generation are taking care of elder people as well. That’s not celebrated at the workplace.”
Age and Retirement
Managers should address age-related concerns without linking slowing down to age to avoid bias.
“We need a total reset on age and work. In terms of noticing somebody slowing down and correlating that to their age is already us projecting something onto them.”
Fear of Ambition
Women often face greater fear of ambition and may be overlooked for promotions due to this.
“Women have a harder time saying they want something greater than what they currently have, and they are misconstrued when they say it.”
Overcoming Fear
Sharing mistakes and fears builds trust and psychological safety in the workplace.
“I think storytelling is a great thing. I tell all of my students that I’ve been fired before and they want to crawl under their desk.”
Salary Transparency
Managers should discuss salary and pay bands early to avoid misunderstandings and build trust.
“So if your company awards bonuses and salary increases in December, in February, you should go to your manager and say, I want to add a lot more value to the company this year and I want to make a lot more money.”
Layoffs and AI
Managers should address AI and layoffs honestly to prevent fear and maintain trust.
“If managers just avoid that AI is there, they’re scaring their team. I think being as honest as possible, which is, Listen, we are going to start using AI.”
What to remember
Managers should address taboo topics like politics and family responsibilities to build trust and psychological safety.
