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Legal & General Construction Wellbeing Programme · Supplementary Talk 1 of 3

Speaking Up & Being Heard

Toolbox Talk: Confidence, Voice & Psychological Safety

At a Glance

Being heard isn't about shouting. Speaking up safely is how near-misses get reported, workloads flagged, and mates in trouble get help. Harvard research shows psychological safety, feeling able to raise a concern without being mocked, is the biggest predictor of team performance. Staying silent costs lives. This talk gives you the language to speak up without making it a fight.

In the Ownminder App · Confidence & Self-Belief

The Confidence & Self-Belief section helps you build the voice to raise concerns, set boundaries, and back your own judgement without becoming defensive.

  • Being Assertive DEASC: The DEASC framework (Describe, Express, Acknowledge, Specify, Consequence) helps you raise any concern clearly and calmly. This is L&G's conversation model.
  • Strengths: Identify what you bring to the team so you speak from a place of knowing your value, not seeking permission.
  • Critical Voice: Challenge the inner voice that says 'they won't listen'. Rewrites the critic as a coach.
  • SMART Goals: Set small, concrete goals for speaking up. Raise one point in the next toolbox talk. Report one near-miss.

Discussion Questions

  1. When was the last time you held back from saying something on site, and what stopped you?
  2. What is the difference between speaking up and being difficult?
  3. Who on this team is the best at raising issues without causing friction?
  4. If you spotted a near-miss right now, how confident are you that you would report it?
  5. How do we make it safer for apprentices and newer lads to speak up?
  6. What is one thing we could change on this site to make people feel more heard?

Recognising the Signs

Watch for the team member who nods in meetings but never contributes, the apprentice who asks questions privately but never in front of the crew, the experienced hand who rolls their eyes at decisions but stays quiet in the planning room. These are early signs of a team that doesn't feel safe to speak up. If near-misses are under-reported, if the same mistakes keep happening, or if apprentices leave within six months, your site has a speaking-up problem. The fix isn't telling people to 'just speak up', it is making it obvious they won't be mocked when they do.

Things to Try

Confidence to speak up is a muscle you train. Start small.

  • Practise DEASC, describe the issue, express the impact, specify the fix
  • One-point rule, commit to one contribution in the next toolbox talk
  • Run Strengths in Ownminder to see what you already bring to the team
  • Challenge your Critical Voice, rewrite 'they won't listen' as 'worth a try'
  • Start with safety, a PPE or trip hazard is the easiest first thing to raise

Safer Sites

Better near-miss reporting and earlier flagging of problems reduces incidents.

Stronger Team Trust

People who feel heard bring their best thinking. Silence corrodes trust faster than disagreement.

Better Mental Health

Suppressing concerns drives anxiety and depression. Speaking up protects your head.

Support

Ownminder → EAP → Mental Health First Aider → Samaritans 116 123 → GP/NHS → Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity 0345 605 1956

Attendance Declaration

I have attended this toolbox talk, heard the content, and know where to access Ownminder, MHFA, EAP and crisis support if I need it.

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