Navigating the world of work means dealing with challenges that often go beyond our official job descriptions. Every workday, whether we realise it or not, is filled with negotiations: with colleagues, managers, clients, and sometimes, with oneself. From small compromises to bigger battles for what we believe is right, negotiation is at the heart of how we get things done.
What then is negotiation? It is simply communication or collaboration between two or more parties to reach an agreement that benefits all involved. Within ourselves, we might get caught up between the choice of a yellow blouse and a green blazer. At the end of the day, it is not exactly a decision between what wins and what loses out; it is a resolution for what is beneficial altogether.
Despite how fundamental negotiation is, many people still approach it with hesitation or silence, especially when it comes to asking for what they truly need or deserve. Social and workplace norms have long shaped who feels entitled, or even safe, to ask. For many, the fear of being labelled “difficult”, “pushy”, or “ungrateful” keeps important conversations locked in the drafts of our minds. Sometimes, those who seem to get it all are those who appear assertive, bold, and exuberant. However, you do not have to be a symbol of extroversion to parley. All you need is to be equipped with your well-defined terms and a willingness for conciliation when it is required.
Even as we step up, armed with our terms and open to compromise, an uneasy question lingers: Who gets to ask, and how do we decide whose voice is valid? Despite all the emphasis organisations place on “open-door” policies and “transparent dialogues”, there remains an unspoken architecture of access: some knocks echo louder than others. Far too often, those with less institutional power, whether because of their role, identity, or tenure, find their questions muffled or redirected, rather than welcomed. The result? A workplace ecosystem where uncertainty thrives and innovation struggles to find its voice.
Here is a bit of an anecdote: whispers are rarely a matter of volume, but rather permission. When asking for a raise, a reconsideration of deadlines, or simply further clarification feels like trespassing, people naturally lower their tones. Over time, this reticence collects and fuses into a kind of aggregate apathy, where untapped potential and good ideas exist only as silent footnotes.
However, the workplace can do better. Instead of choreographing around hierarchy or custom, what if workplaces championed curiosity with courage? When the workplace normalises questions, whether big or small, mundane or profound, it moves beyond rewarding only the loudest or most familiar styles of negotiation. It recognises that the quiet members ask not as an inconvenience but as a meticulously weighed risk, testifying to the thoughtfulness that goes into their requests.
Negotiation is not solely a transactional event but an unmistakable marker of a living, learning organisation. If we want to reimagine “asking” at work, we must first unlearn the idea that value and volume are synonymous. Whispering need not be a default. Let it become a style choice, not a sign of defeat or resignation.
So, why are we still whispering?
