Ep 13: Bringing Smelly Fish to the Table: Why we Avoid Hard Conversations at Work with Steve Hearsum

Ever sensed there’s something unspoken at work? Something everyone feels but no one names? In this episode of Headflex, co-hosts Rebecca Walker and Diane Williams sit down with guest Steve Hearsum to talk about exactly that: the tricky, uncomfortable stuff that quietly shapes how teams function but rarely makes it into the meeting room.Steve’s a consultant, coach, and author of No Silver Bullet, a book that challenges the quick-fix culture many organisations rely on. Together, they talk about the kinds of issues that get ignored, why we avoid them, and what happens when we finally put them on the table. They talk honestly about what gets in the way of speaking up, and what can help people feel safer doing it, even when it’s messy or uncomfortable.Here are the Highlights:00:00 Introduction 04:56 Undiscussable topics 07:07 Why we staysSilent: Fear, shame, and the risk of speaking up12:02 How to support but not fix situations14:09 Why psychological safety isn’t optional18:21 Belonging, exclusion, and dissent in organisations20:06 The two key questions every team must answer23:40 Final reflections: The power and risk of honest conversationsAbout Rebecca & Diane:Rebecca Walker and Diane Williams, leadership coaches with over 20 years experience, are on a mission to de-bunk some of the myths and barriers surrounding coaching, making it accessible to all, with a touch of humour and a human approach.  Diane brings energy and enjoyment to her coaching. She offers you time and space to deepen your thinking, reflect on how you are working and bring impactful behavioural change. Diane also works with teams to help them develop and reach their collective potential. Rebecca coaches teams, leaders and emerging leaders across many different sectors. She brings empathy with a healthy dose of challenge to help leaders navigate their style and impact. She also helps teams to thrive through building trust and deep collaboration. Headflex will flex the subjects that commonly appear in their coaching sessions and challenge each other and their guests to answer thought provoking questions, unlock answers and shift perspectives.  Connect with us at Headflex:  Email: [email protected]. Website: www.headflex.co.uk Instagram: www.instagram.com/head.flex/Connect with Rebecca Walker: www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccawalker13/Connect with Diane Williams: www.linkedin.com/in/dianewilliams1About Steve HearsumSteve Hearsum has worked for over 20 years as an organisational consultant, coach and more recently supervisor. He has a keen interest in the human side of change, which in recent years has grown into a fascination with how shame and anxiety drive behaviour in organisations, particularly at senior leadership levels. He supports and challenges clients to find their ‘edge and stretch’ when what they are after is more than simply ‘better sameness’, and has been described as ‘the right kind of fly in the ointment’.His work focuses on building change capability in three main ways. helping leaders develop their practice in terms of how they show up and the impact they have; working with internal and external consultants and organisational change practitioners of many a hue to develop their consulting skills; and culture work more generally. He published his first book, No Silver Bullet: Bursting the bubble of the organisational quick fix, in 2024, is a Council Member of the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations and former Co-Chair of the OD Network Europe.Produced by Winter Audio.