Harvard Business School teacher Christina Wing warns that growing workplace taboos, cancel culture fears, and rigid corporate communication are damaging organizational trust and decision-making. In a detailed interview published by L’Express, the family business specialist argues that avoiding difficult conversations forces employees into self-censorship, limits creative mobility, and ultimately leaves companies ill-equipped to handle modern global challenges.
The Spread of Workplace Taboos and Self-Censorship
Wing observed that discussions around sensitive topics have grown increasingly restricted, far beyond traditional dinner-table rules. Thirty years ago, divisive subjects were largely confined to politics and religion, but Wing notes that the list of forbidden topics continues to expand. In her book Unspeakable: The Taboo Topics We Avoid and How to Talk About Them, she explains that avoiding conflict does not make complex issues disappear. Instead, unresolved tensions multiply, distort decisions, erode trust, and influence results. Wing warns that if corporate environments continue on their current trajectory, workplace dialogue will soon be reduced exclusively to discussions about food and Netflix.
Homogeneous Hiring and Fear of Judgment
Wing also points out that traditional corporate settings foster a paralyzing fear of judgment.
French Regulations Make Hiring Older Workers Risky
Addressing the specific labor market dynamics in France, Wing highlights the hurdles facing workers over the age of 50. State regulations regarding dismissals make employers view older hires as a risk, trapping workers in prolonged unemployment or locking them into a single company for decades. Wing suggests that encouraging voluntary professional mobility—allowing workers to switch sectors or internal roles to build diverse skill sets—would revitalize the French workforce. She describes French employees as exceptionally creative and passionate, noting that greater career flexibility would unlock broader economic potential and reduce the stigma associated with career shifts.
Leaders Must Proactively Orchestrate Their Succession
Wing contends that no professional role should function as a lifetime appointment and argues that corporate leaders must actively prepare their organizations for life after their departure. Drawing comparisons to royal traditions, she suggests that monarchs and chief executives alike should proactively orchestrate successions rather than relying entirely on rigid automatic protocols. Wing points out that an effective leader should establish a clear transition timeline, support a handpicked successor, and step aside while still in a position to champion the incoming leadership. Waiting until old age to relinquish control risks stifling innovation and driving away ambitious talent.
Personal Lives and the Danger of Workplace Secrecy
Wing argues against maintaining strict artificial boundaries between personal lives and professional identities, noting that legal frameworks and interview practices often penalize candidates for personal realities. She recalls advising students to openly address family plans during interviews rather than hiding circumstances like upcoming maternity leave, arguing that transparency prevents underlying anxieties from dictating hiring outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Published by HBR Press in 2026, the book demonstrates how ambiguity, silence, and conflict avoidance weaken organizations by distorting decisions and eroding internal trust.
State regulations surrounding dismissals make employers view workers over 50 as a risk, leading companies to hesitate before hiring senior candidates.
She argues that leaders should voluntarily step down in their early fifties after establishing a clear transition plan and timeline to help their handpicked successors succeed.
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