How to make people speak up?

We all know that speaking up, voicing concerns is good. But often people don't. It's obvious that it has to do a lot with trust in the opposite person. Here are a few tips from my own experiences. 

Trusting is about exposing one's vulnerabilities. People in office dont trust for the same reasons children dont trust their parents, or their spouses or anybody else.

a) Fear of judgment. That they will be called the bad guy. Or weak. Or receive anger. This is the hardest to battle because much of it is self-created. 

b) Futility: That speaking is useless anyway. That we will get some management speak, but no solutions. This is most common but easier to combat. 

CORRECTING SELF-BELIEFS

1. "People are too chicken/afraid anyway to speak their mind - unlike me/INTJs/introverts/ etc etc" Would *I* want to speak my mind? Well, then so do other people. Maybe they lack the courage or the techniques. And their fear is ME. And techniques, can't I help, if I think I am good at it?
2. You cannot go in with a mindset that it will fail anyway. Failure is inevitable then
3. Do not hope to solve, make them happy. Then it becomes more about rescuing. Trust is about opening up. Solutions come later. Sometimes they don't. And it still helps. When people feel heard, they feel enabled. They help themselves after that.

STEPS TO BUILD TRUST:

1. I always end my team meetings with "Any cribs/frustrations/issues?" Then I tease the silence that follows "So you are absolutely happy? Amazing!!" It shows that they might be hiding, but that's ok too.
2. Keep bringing up potential issues myself. And speak about them, provide clarifications. Shows that I might be able to and interested in gauging their issues. If I care...I might listen
3. Make it clear that it is for their own sake. And I am not trying to be the good guy. Eg. "If anything, including false problems, prevents you from giving 100% to your job, its MY problem. So if you have issues, please speak about them" 
4. I make it clear that I can promise either of two things: a) Change the situation b) Explain the situation. Or tell them if its not in my hands. So they win either way. Nothing to lose
5. A common challenge is to raise issues about other team mates. Feels like snitching. I provide 2 techniques that help.a) Do not ASSUME the team mate is an issue. Start your talk with "I want to share MY concern. *I* feel that way when.....I might be right/wrong" That helps take ownership b) I make it clear that their job is to report concerns. Deciding whos fault it is, who needs to be talked to(including them) is MY job. They need not worry about it. That reduces their 'burden' of guilt. This really helps many people who see thay they are not 'bad' for hating someone as long as they do not assume they are right
6. Sometimes I provide the trigger by saying "Maybe you feel why are we having people working overtime and cutting the team size on the other hand..."
7. Recently I announced "I am tired of my monologues. Next week, I will choose somebody at random. You have to say 2 issues/cribs/complaints/ideas/suggestions" Its surprising when one voice triggers a domino. Group courage
8. Sometimes people need privacy. I allow that too. 
9. I discourage anonymous responses, because speaking up is half the battle. If they need to be anonymous, it wont work anyway. If they dont trust the guy who is supposed to solve it. 
10. I often say "If you have issues with me, do the same. Preferably speak first hand to me....else to my boss. But its important you SPEAK, You might be nursing a false problem for all you know, or letting a real problem continue" 
11. I make sure to manage on outcomes rather than judge the intentions or background behind them(for eg. Women have personal constraints, somebody has personal issues they cannot share) If its important to them, its enough. At the same time, if I have a challenge myself, I express that too. I negotiate alternatives, but never downplay their REASONS. In short, I think their problem is important, and expect them to do the same for the project. 
12. If somebody has too many issues, their outcomes will be impacted. I make it clear that the judgement/evaluation is on their outcomes, not their problems. Separating ourselves from our outcome is a very tough thing. Helping them do so also builds trust. That I accept their problems, as long as they do so first. 

WHEN SOMEONE DOES SPEAK UP:

1. When someone DOES talk to me, I absolutely do not interrupt. Even if I think I got the issue. Even if they are repeating themselves. People who are weak at speaking up are taking a huge step. Its a lot about absorbing this new way, than just communicating an issue. They have to experience the power fully. Its like saying silently "See?? nothing happened!!" They feel heard.
2. Then i rephrase "I got it...you feel .... when this happens..and you feel its because of this....." It helps a LOT when the opposite person articulates your own point better than you did! They feel understood.
3. I never invalidate feelings. Its like a child's fear of a ghost. The ghost is not real, but the fear is. The reason might be false, but the fear is not. 4. My job is to correct the underlying causes. Being INTJ often helps. I often use "I think there are 2 separate issues here......does that make sense?....And hence the answer would be....What do you think?"
4. when people talk about aspirations etc I do not give BS. I gauge if they are apprehensive. If they are... I am frank and say "Actually I could tell you ....." This verbalizes their hidden fears. Then I add "But frankly, I think...." People appreciate firm, bitter truths much more than sweet, lies that keeps them stuck in false hope. 
5. If I cannot give a solution at that time, I promise to come back...and actually do. Even if it means saying "Am still working on it..." Assures that it is important to me. 
6. End by appreciating them for speaking up. That I would never known about this issue had it not been for them. Ask them to encourage others to do the same. 

All in all:

• Keep hammering the message that speaking up is the first step to anything
• Give them techniques to do so
• Give opportunities, not demands
• Show by example that speaking up is ok. appreciate when it happens
• Prove that it was useful by providing a solution. Else admit that you cannot help. Guide them to others who can