One thing that comes up repeatedly in our speaking up sessions is this:

When people are worried about something at work, they rarely choose who to talk to based purely on role.

They choose based on trust.

Who cares.
Who feels safe.
Who listens.
Who stays calm.
Whose perspective they value.
Who makes situations better, not worse.
Who is discreet.

Sometimes that person has formal authority and can solve the issue directly.

More often, their superpower is being an excellent sounding board.

What is striking is how often the same point comes up: this role frequently feels under-recognised and falls disproportionately on women and individuals from under-represented groups.

In healthier organisations, there are lots of people others feel safe going to.

In struggling cultures, there are far fewer. That's not a surprise: this role involves courage, (non chargeable) time, judgement, skill and emotional labour.

How many people others are able to turn to has many implications. People working in HR, ER and Legal know how many serious situations might have been resolved earlier and more constructively if someone had spoken to a trusted person near the start of the story.

I’ve been fortunate to always have at least one colleague I could turn to. I’ll name one who springs to mind as I write this: Kate Millward. Thank you. And thank you too to everyone who has been a sounding board in the tough times.

There are two questions underneath all of this:

Are you one of those people for someone else?

And if you are — who supports you?