What happens when a colleague raises a concern?

What we found in the news

NHS England’s Safety culture: learning from best practice (opens in a new tab), published in November 2022, gathered insights from discussions with selected NHS organizations. Among the practical ideas was:

“Make personal connections and get to know staff as individuals.”

— NHS England, Psychological safety: Civility

This is learning from particular organizations, not proof that a single management technique changes outcomes. It prompts us to examine what an invitation to speak up feels like in ordinary operational work.

Why this matters to us

Imagine a hypothetical reception colleague noticing that the information given to new participants differs from the program timetable. They mention it during a busy morning. The manager acknowledges the concern, then leaves for another meeting.

What happens next?

Perhaps someone checks the two versions that afternoon. Perhaps the concern is forgotten. From the colleague’s position, the invitation to raise a problem is only as useful as the response it receives.

At genus, we are interested in that interval between noticing and responding. A channel for reporting concerns matters. So does the experience of using it.

Make room for the concern before defending the process

Ask what the colleague saw and what they think needs checking. Avoid deciding too quickly that the problem is simply a misunderstanding.

A newer staff member may notice an unclear step that experienced colleagues have learned to work around. A transport worker may see a practical difficulty that does not appear during office hours. Different roles offer different views of the same service.

In our hypothetical example, the useful first action could be to compare the invitation and timetable with the person who maintains each. There is no need to demand a fully developed solution from the colleague who spotted the mismatch.

If the issue needs immediate escalation through an established safety or safeguarding process, use that route. An informal conversation should not leave urgent responsibilities unresolved.

Explain what will happen to the information

A manager may need time to investigate. Say who will check, what remains uncertain, and when the colleague can expect an update. Agree a realistic next step rather than offering reassurance that cannot yet be supported.

Some matters cannot be discussed widely. Explain the boundary without treating confidentiality as a reason to say nothing about the process. A colleague may still be told that the issue reached the responsible person.

Give people more than one suitable route to raise a concern. Speaking in a group is not equally comfortable or practical for everyone, particularly where the concern involves someone in that group.

Leaders also need to examine their own response. Interrupting, joking away a difficulty, or immediately asking who made the mistake can narrow what people are willing to explain.

Return to the person who raised it

Once the timetable mismatch has been checked, tell the colleague what was found and what will happen. If no change is needed, explain why. If a document has been corrected, confirm who will maintain it next time.

Do not confuse the number of reported concerns with a simple score for service quality. More reports may reflect more problems, greater willingness to speak, or both. The content and response need attention.

Notice whether the same issue returns. Repeated reports may show that an earlier action did not reach the point where the work happens. Ask the people using the process whether it now makes sense.

This is also a place to recognize a useful contribution plainly. Thanking someone for noticing can sit alongside a careful examination of what happened; it need not become a public performance.

What this means for the people you serve

Participants and families may notice the same mismatch before staff do. They need a clear way to ask about it and a response that helps them make plans. Include their account when it changes the team’s understanding, while respecting their choice about taking part.

The genus connection

Configured genus tools can support feedback responses and authorized team communication today. They can provide a place for information to reach the organization within the agreed workflow.

Collecting a response does not prove that someone has reviewed it. The staff workspace still needs an agreed purpose, appropriate access, and people responsible for following through. Technology can carry a concern; leadership determines what happens when it arrives.

One question for your next team meeting

Can a colleague describe what happened after the last operational concern they raised?