One of my most vivid memories from my early days at Twitter was during an All Hands meeting, back when we all routinely came into the same physical office. The room was packed, probably with more people than it was designed for, but that only added to the fervor. With every inch of space filled, the room was charged with energy. That day, we unveiled our new company logo, demonstrated our innovative user-tracking features, and celebrated the addition of new geographies and languages. Glancing around, I could see my colleagues, their faces mirroring my own feelings of pride and gratitude. We were all exhilarated to be part of this rocket ship.
Many employees courageously stepped up to the microphone to inquire about the product, discuss potential office expansion, or express concerns about the impending feedback cycle. Our value of “Communicate Fearlessly to Build Trust” was palpable in the room.
Through Slido, a common communications tool, other questions were also asked with the help of a moderator reading those questions aloud. It was a useful tool for those employees who were too afraid to share their name or walk up to a microphone. Then the moderator read the questions that “Anonymous” asked. The mood shifted. They were questions that challenged the integrity of our leadership and debated compensation. We continued to allow “Anonymous” to submit questions for a few years after that until we noted a pattern: all of the divisive, unproductive, and even aggressive questions were attributed to “Anonymous.” We decided that “Anonymous” was no longer invited to the meetings. We wanted to instill more transparency and accountability into the questioning, while also making sure that we were building a safe environment for people to ask and own those tough questions. You might be wondering if employees were negatively impacted by this. Quite the opposite. Employees felt more empowered that we were addressing a toxic situation. Even more telling, the percentage of people who felt positive about their psychological safety and belonging went up on our engagement survey, not down.
Throughout my career, I have encouraged open and responsible questioning. Every company I have been a part of has invited “Anonymous” into meetings only to spend countless hours coaching “Anonymous” on how to ask those questions in a more respectul and productive way (this is, if “Anonymous” was willing to no longer be anonymous after those meetings). In those meetings when I coached “Anonymous” we both realized that their questions could have been answered more effectively if they had asked it more effectively. Meaning, in a way that was respectful, professional.
While anonymity was initially seen as a tool for fostering open communication, over the years, its misuse has caused it to evolve into a platform for grievances. Anonymous spaces meant to empower employees to speak up without fear have, in many instances, have turned into arenas of negativity and venting.
Other companies have publicly stated that they, too, let “Anonymous” go. Google used to be known for letting “Anonymous” in at most of its All Hands meetings. Laszlo Bock, former HR executive at Google, noted how anonymity’s use in professional settings mirrors the broader internet. What starts as a space for underrepresented voices can degrade into unconstructive discourse. Bock, once an advocate, has since retracted his support for anonymous questions, emphasizing that without context, addressing these questions becomes almost impossible.
I understand the need to create a safe space for people to be heard, but this is often conflated with a space for people to vent. I believe in owning our questions. We need to have agency for what we believe, be prepared to ask tough questions, and to get the answers that we may not want. If we want to ask a question, be constructive about it, ask with an intent to get a solution vs. asking with an intent to make a point. The anger and sadness that is nestled between those anonymous questions is hurtful to others, and yes, even to executives. At my company, we recently let go of the ability to ask an anonymous question in company-wide meetings. We have allowed more time for questions now, however employees must put their name by their question. We also updated one of our behavioral values from:
Earnestly Authentic: We ask questions to understand the uniqueness of each other and the world around us to We respectfully ask questions to understand the uniqueness of each other and the world around us. It seems obvious, but after talking with many employees who thought authentic meant that they should be able to share their feelings, we realized that respect needed to be more intentionally included in our behaviors. These behaviors are what we expect from each other, a playbook for how we work with each other. Asking questions respectfully gives both the speaker and listener freedom to share and hear what’s being asked in a neutral, non-defensive way. Doing so, will more likely get the results that the asker is wanting in the first place.
If someone still feels the need to stay anonymous, then there are other ways for them to do so within a company’s ecosystem. There are the engagement surveys, performance feedback, and also opportunities to work with your own manager, internal HR partners and DEI leaders whose primary role is to ensure that employees not only have a safe place to share their concerns, but to also coach them through how to address their issues in a constructive, solution-oriented manner.
There is undeniable value in creating environments where employees feel heard. But when the veil of anonymity fosters hostility rather than constructive discourse, it becomes a problem. As an employee, I need a safe place to share my concerns within an organization. I also have a responsibility in sharing those concerns in a professional manner, in the appropriate forum, with a proposed solution.
As a leader, I have a responsibility to listen to employees’ concerns. I also have a responsibility to coach employees on what a constructive question looks like, and to help them identify a solution if they had not already thought of one.
As the corporate world adapts to hybrid work and other changes, establishing constructive and transparent communication channels is more crucial than ever. By owning our questions and concerns, we can create environments where employees feel heard while fostering a culture of positivity, accountability, and growth.
Read the full article here
