The Voiceless at Work

“A few can touch the magic string,

And noisy Fame is proud to win them:—

Alas for those that never sing,

But die with all their music in them!”

Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote those lines in 1858. But when I came across them recently I thought of the modern workplace.

Who are the Voiceless at work?

I think of the marginalized, doing jobs that are vital but who have little influence or freedom. 

I think of those deemed not to be “high potential”, with abilities unseen, undeveloped, and unused.

I think of those who mute themselves, afraid to share what they know, not daring to contribute beyond what they’re told.

We must seek ways to give a voice to "those that never sing" so they can offer “all their music in them.” When we humanize the workplace in this way, we make work and life richer for all of us. 

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Poem source: dailypoetry.me/oliver-wendell-holmes/voiceless

Photo credit: www.intelligenttransport.com