The power of being anonymous
To resolve the issue at the workplace, can bringing anonymity to the workplace could help you to share the “real you” with others?
Annie Dillard rightly said,
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
For most us, a large chunk of our day is spent at work. According to a report, an average human being spends one-third of his/her lives at work. Hence, work is a crucial part of our life.
No matter, how much we are content with our jobs, there is some or the other problem at work that may get to your feet and anytime and anywhere. There could be problems, or concerns about working conditions, or people who we work with, can happen at any time. At times situations at work become toxic and traumatic that you may well consider your working environment, right?
Even though, in such a situation when you hesitate to act on your impulses. You feel complaining can become complicated as it can be destructive to your reputation. All the more, there is always a fear of consequences and retribution.
Whether it’s a four-year-old that’s afraid to admit they’ve spilled their sippy cup or an employee that made a critical error while preparing a monthly report. Therefore, the fear of backlash dominates our behavior from the time we are children to well into our golden years. It often prevents you from speaking with your true voice.
Times have changed
A century ago, workers especially in factories formed unions and went on strikes to demand better working conditions, better pay and for a limit on hours.
But, in the corporate scenario, is it be possible to have a similar corporate union to cater to the demands employees?
Well, going back to old methods is unlikely to happen in this digital era. When you are an employee of a big corporate, you are likely to be highly monitored by your company. So how does one talk about the real issue at the workplace? Or when one wants to discuss similar work experience with other companies? How can one have his or her real voice without the fear of retribution?
Be the real you
To resolve this issue in a modern-day office culture bringing anonymity to the workplace could help you to “share the real you” with others. As studies have suggested that in an anonymous space people generally tend to say things which they would never say before.
Anonymity not only removes the spotlight from you but also removes the power of others to judge you.
So to handle the difficult conversations at work, the use of technology can foster to build an anonymous space. Hush- Real voice of employee, is one such safe space, where you express your candid opinions without any fear of recognition or judgment. We use anonymity as a tool to facilitate real and honest workplace discussions.
Anonymity is empowering
At Hush, we give you the opportunity to voice your opinions and concerns which can be heard through barriers put down by your workplace. it is a platform which gives you the chance and the choice, to be honest.
Being anonymous encourages your authenticity while protecting you from any unwarranted negative repercussions. Moreover, when dealing with sensitive issues such as harassment, anonymity become vital for discussion.
It helps in raising your voice and inform the organization of the many dynamic undercurrents that courses through any employee base.
In a normal scenario, where you have to give a feedback for a higher-up, you generally tend to give a modified answer which satisfies the ego of your boss. On the other hand, as an employee, you feel you are an expendable and easily replaceable cog in the company wheel. Hence, management is indifferent to your thoughts and concerns.
At Hush, we respect your need to anonymous when you give a feedback. Also, you are protected from any backlash while sharing your honest thoughts and help you maximize its effectiveness. You are likely to feel far more valued and, thus, feel engaged within your organization.
With great power comes great responsibility
Hush is helping employees to express themselves freely about anything and everything related to work. But it is also important to note that the platforms should not be mistaken for a place of lawlessness. Hush has a restricted community for each company. In each company group, we only have verified company employee who can join their respective communities. As an employee of a particular company via a one time OTP on their official email address. This ensures only real employees of Company A get access to the community of Company A.
Trolling becomes a major concern is an anonymous platform. At Hush, we take this very seriously. Any content which is flagged is removed immediately.
People who keep posting content that is objectionable are removed from the platform. Like many things in life, checks and balances are needed to maximize effectiveness without destabilizing the bigger picture.
We echo these sentiments of providing a safe space for office employees. From day to day workplace matters such as how to handle difficult co-workers to taking critical career decisions, Hush is a companion for corporate workforce. Meanwhile, Hush has opened up the organizational hierarchy.
By building a safe space where the opinion of a junior employee and the CEO is given a similar validation.
Originally published at Calibr.ai
