Smart, Not Loud: How to Get Noticed at Work for All the Right Reasons
Jessica Chen
Portfolio/Penguin (July 2024)
How to reframe Quiet Culture values in order to get noticed for the right reasons
According to Jessica Chen, we are now living in a confusing world in which cultures clash. I agree. In fact, I think the world today is much more volatile, more uncertain, more complex, and more ambiguous than at any prior time that I can recall. She adds, “Chances are it’s because we are viewing the world through our Quiet Culture lens, while the workplace is rewarding those who exhibit Loud Culture traits.”
Consider these cultural dualities: Quiet Culture (QC) and Loud Culture (LC).
o How we communicate: QC: Listen more than speak <> LC: Participate by discussing and challenging
o How we prefer to work : QC: Put our heads down and work hard <> LC: Spend time building connections
o How we celebrate our achievements : QC: Be humble and don’t boast <> LC: Ensure others notice our accomplishments
o How we handle tricky situations : QC: Avoid contact to maintain a harmonious environment <> LC: Address problems openly and honestly
Obviously, in a workplace culture or elsewhere, some situations are best managed with quiet skills, others with loud skills, and still others with a combination of both.
Whatever their size and nature may be, all organizations need effective leadership at all levels and in all areas of operation throughout the given enterprise. Only then can strategic objectives be achieved. For example, positive engagement; productive use of time; recognition, and celebration of both shared and individual achievements; and conflict management.
It is no coincidence that the companies annually ranked among those most highly regarded and best to work for are also annually ranked among those most profitable, with the greatest cap value in their industry segment.
These are among the passages in Smart, Not Loud of greatest interest and value to me, also listed to indicate the nature and scope of Chen’s coverage:
o Loud Culture (Pages (ix-x, xiii-xiv, xvi-xvii)
o Quiet Capital Framework (xiv-xv and 67-149)
o Quiet Culture vs. Loud Culture (8-20)
o Culture Dualities at Work (12-13)
o The Power of Quiet Cultures (21-23)
o The Four Cultural Reframes (25-50)
o Manage Conflict (41-45)
o Shaping Career Brand (69-91)
o Building Credibility (93-120)
o ACCT Framework (122-147)
o Circling Back: Repeated Efforts (129-136)
o The Communication Advantage (151-223)
o Active Listening (157-162)
o Effective Presentations (172-178)
o Tone of Voice, and, Body Language (183-204 and 205-223)
Chen makes brilliant use of several reader-friendly devices such as dozens of mini-commentaries (e.g. “The Power of Making Connections, Pages 87-89), “Word to the Wise” advisories, “What’s Next” alerts, and a “Bottom Line” summary of key points at the end of each chapter.
I also commend Jessica Chen on her skillful use of direct address. She immediately establishes a personal rapport with her reader in the Introduction and sustains it throughout her lively and eloquent narrative.
Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out In it, Susan Cain takes a balanced approach to the immensely difficult task of examining the advantages and disadvantages of being primarily an introvert as well as those of being primarily an extrovert.
I use the term “primarily” in the context of culture as well as one’s temperament, personality, preferences, tendencies, and (yes) volition. “If given a choice…” is a helpful phrase. Some people dread being the center of attention whereas the behavior of others indicates a pathological need for it. Not all introverts are shy and reluctant, however, and not all extroverts are bombastic and impulsive. Moreover, expediency can also come into play.” As Walt Whitman affirms in Song of Myself, each person is “large”…and contains “multitudes.”
Recognize your biases and make certain that they do not prevent you from mutually beneficial communication, cooperation, and (especially) collaboration with others.
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Here are two other suggestions while you are reading Smart, Not Loud : First, highlight key passages. Also, perhaps in a lined notebook kept near-at- hand, record your comments, questions, action steps (preferably with deadlines), page references, and lessons you have learned as well as your responses to key points posed within the narrative. Also record your responses to specific or major issues or questions addressed, especially at the conclusion of chapters.
These two simple tactics — highlighting and documenting — will facilitate, indeed expedite frequent reviews of key material later.