The importance of participation in the workplace and beyond

I hear too many people say their vote doesn’t matter every election year. Historically, the numbers reflect this belief — in recent years, just 37 percent of eligible voters showed up to vote in 2014, and even the record-breaking 2020 election saw only 67 percent participation. That means 80 million people, at the height of political engagement, choose silence over action. If you don’t believe your voice matters at the ballot box, chances are you don’t think it matters at work or in your community, either.

This sense of powerlessness is devastating. It silences the very voices we most need to hear. Whether it comes to voting, speaking up in a meeting, or advocating for what’s right, inaction ensures that progress stalls. Doing nothing is not a neutral act — it’s a decision to let others decide your future.

When we opt out, we remove our voice from the conversation. By choosing to vote, even if your candidate doesn’t win, your voice is still part of the collective decision. When you advocate for someone, your support adds strength to their cause, even if the outcome doesn’t change. When you share your perspective at work, your ideas contribute to innovation and progress, even if they take time to implement.

Every decision, or lack thereof, has an impact. Deciding to do nothing is still a decision, and it usually results in stagnation rather than the forward progress of personal, business, or societal goals. 

So, how can we shift from inaction to active participation in all areas of our lives? How can we use our voices to drive positive change? There are a few simple things you can do to start.

Overcoming barriers to participation

What holds most people back from participating — whether in political engagements or just discussions at work? A lack of representation and feeling under-informed are two significant factors.

Organizational structures, like the electoral college or corporate hierarchies, can make it seem like individual voices don’t carry weight. For example, an executive’s opinion might seem more influential than a regular employee’s input, or living in a state that consistently votes red or blue might make you feel like your vote doesn’t matter. But this perception only reinforces the importance of your voice. Diverse opinions are crucial to building solid democracies and businesses, as they often lead to better, more inclusive decisions.

Feeling under-informed shouldn’t silence you — it should motivate you to ask questions and seek knowledge. With your specific worldview and unique perspective, adding to your knowledge base should be an empowering way to help increase inclusion and diversity in different decisions. Say your company is considering investing in AI — don’t just accept the stakeholder’s (or AI company’s) opinion. Do your own research, ask questions, and make your voice heard. You never know what that could uncover, and in a world where politics and technology evolve rapidly, even experts must continuously learn to stay informed. 

Never let a lack of knowledge prevent you from contributing to the conversation, even if it’s just asking questions. I like to say that there are no dumb questions when it comes to learning about a complicated topic.

The power of active choices

This blog here doesn’t cover topics like lack of resources, access, and diversity — which are huge issues to address so that one day society can fully bridge the gaps in knowledge and representation. But what if many of the problems we face today are self-imposed through the act of doing nothing?

Everyone being willing to speak up, learn, and participate are the first steps toward solving these more significant societal issues. While the stakes are vast between subjects like who will lead our government next and whether or not your business should invest in new technology, they’re both still essential to participate in because your voice matters.

Recognizing that every voice should help determine an outcome is the best start to building a brighter future for everyone.

Not choosing leads to greater stagnancy

If we look at a larger scale than just our own industry, we could take a look at the S&P Fortune 500 companies to see where hesitation in choosing and moving forward can lead us.

Since the start of the aughts, over 50 percent of these sparkly, industry-leading companies have either gone bankrupt, been acquired, or disappeared into the void of nonexistence. The lifespan of these companies continually shrinks with the rapid evolution of innovation, and I personally think it’s due to the fact that these companies made decisions too late down the road to keep up with the needs of the world around them.

“It took us 300 years to invent the wheel as we know it, Apple now releases a new iPhone almost annually.” – Jay Jayamohan

Stagnancy won’t give any lenders an advantage. Hesitation just lengthens the road that helps lenders catch up. But participation — speaking up and learning all that you can — enables diverse points of view to make faster decisions and active choices that just may keep your financial institution around for the long haul.

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Aaron Long — Head of Business Development

Aaron is a native of St. Louis MO and currently resides in Atlanta, GA with his two teenagers. He believes people are the core of every business and if you invest in them, you are investing in the long-term success of your company. Aaron has spent over twenty years leading teams that are motivated to win together and partnering with clients to ensure their success.