It’s terrible when people feel unsafe in the workplace, and an organization’s performance suffers as a result. You can’t be world-class without every employee being able to use their voice.
Without a feeling of Psychological Safety, employees understandably protect themselves. They choose to keep quiet instead of speaking up to point out problems, admit mistakes, disagree with the boss, and challenge the status quo.
Instead of admonishing people to be brave, leaders must work to reduce the Fear Factor.
Even without fear, if speaking up doesn’t lead to action and improvement, then the Futility Factor kicks in—where it’s not dangerous to speak up, but it’s just not worth the time, effort, and energy.
That’s why we need BOTH of these concepts: Psychological Safety and Problem Solving
Don’t just be non-punitive, be effective.
