Permission to Speak Freely

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LEADERS IMPEDE COMMUNICATION

We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.

—MALALA YOUSAFZAI, I AM MALALA

GARY STASSER OF MIAMI (OHIO) UNIVERSITY conducted a seminal study on group communication based on a murder mystery scenario, titled The Case of the Fallen Businessman. Stasser discovered that open communication is difficult in small groups. People tend to share common knowledge but are afraid of looking foolish by voicing things only they know. Group members question themselves: If it’s relevant, why has no one else brought this up? We’ve created a condensed version of this case study to illustrate Stasser’s discoveries and to set the stage for further exploration into communication challenges.

The sun had just peeked ...