Every company that I have worked for has missed critical information from its employees. It was directly because of a “nice” culture.
In “nice” cultures people talk about things they have in common and already know. There is a word for this. Shared information Bias. What this means in brief, is that employees who can help are often overlooked and ignored.
This happens in all the companies I have worked at. The goal of many companies is to not have a shared decision that everyone can get buy-in but to have a top-down decision. This top-down decision often ignores the abilities and experience of those who are not considered.
Companies now are trying to be more inclusive and welcoming of different viewpoints. This is a difficult thing to do. I can respect that companies are new to this and not really sure how to respect all of the points of view they receive. It is easy for someone who is in power to just do what they want, rather than what will truly lead their coworkers/employees.
This is the difference between a boss and a leader. A boss tells you what to do, and a leader motivates people with a shared vision that everyone buys into. Too often people in authority just make decisions and when they don’t consult those beneath them, it makes them feel less valued because they are being ignored. Perhaps the decision would have been the same, but the group would have come to the decision together inclusively.
When companies say they believe in inclusion, ask them something like this “When was the last time that you modified something based on employee feedback?” If they don’t have an immediate answer, walk away. They are not truly inclusive and use that language in an abusive and non sincere way. The best leaders modify their approach to get buy-in from employees, and we all work together towards a goal.