The one key condition that makes your team members speak up
If you are a leader, you have probably experienced this at least once.
At Wononwon, we ask our team members this question:.
“Are you having any difficulties these days?”
“What help do you need?”
But the answers that come back are usually short.
“"are you okay."”
“"doesn't exist."”
“"…yes."”
The leader clearly asks a question, but the team members remain silent.
On the surface, it appears as if a conversation is taking place, but it ends up being only the leader who is speaking.
Why won't my teammates speak up?
The real reason team members keep quiet is because they feel like it's dangerous to speak up here.
Many leaders believe that the reason their team members are passive is because of their personality.
“It is often interpreted as ”He is a friend who doesn’t talk much“ or ”He is rather introverted.”.
But the real reason is much simpler.
People don't speak because they don't know how their words will be received.
If I speak up, I might be nitpicked, judged as inadequate, or feel like speaking up won't be taken seriously. The moment these thoughts cross my mind as a team member, I immediately conclude: it's safer not to speak up.
In a word,
“It is dangerous to be honest here.”
“This space is not safe.”
The biggest reason team members don't speak up is lack of psychological safety.
What is psychological safety?
Amy Edmondson, a professor at Harvard Business School, defines psychological safety as follows:.
“A shared belief and team atmosphere where ideas can be freely expressed without fear of criticism or punishment.”
In teams with high psychological safety, members feel:.
I think it's okay to ask questions if you don't know.
I believe that if you tell me your idea, I won't laugh at you.
I feel that even if I make mistakes, it can be an opportunity to learn.
Conversely, in teams with low psychological safety, something entirely different happens.
I keep my mouth shut for fear of looking stupid if I ask questions.
They try to hide their mistakes and solve them on their own.
It's burdensome to even suggest new ideas.
Ultimately, a team member's silence isn't a matter of attitude; it's a survival strategy to protect themselves.
Professor Edmondson's famous study: Teams with many mistakes and teams with few mistakes
Professor Amy Edmondson conducted a study of several hospital teams and discovered some fascinating results: Which teams reported more mistakes: those with good teamwork or those with poor teamwork?
Many people naturally expect that teams with weaker teamwork would report more mistakes. However, the actual results were the opposite: teams with strong teamwork reported more mistakes. Why is that?
Because in that team, there was no need to hide mistakes. In a blame-free environment, members naturally shared their mistakes, learning more and improving more quickly through the process.
It wasn't that there were a lot of mistakes, but rather a lot of shared mistakes. This study clearly demonstrates how psychological safety significantly impacts organizational learning and performance.
Psychological safety creates both performance and growth.
In teams with a high sense of security, sharing ideas feels natural, people learn quickly from mistakes, and are not afraid to try new things. This leads to improved team performance.
At the same time, members are given the freedom to challenge themselves with new roles and capabilities, which increases the speed and depth of their personal growth.
Psychological safety is the foundation of a team culture that fosters both performance and growth.
So who should create psychological safety?
Many leaders ask this question:.
“Isn’t this something that the organization or team members should create themselves?”
The correct answer is both, but the starting point is clearly the leader.
The roles of a leader are as follows:.
Listen to the end without judging
Don't interrupt easily after asking a question
Don't view mistakes as problems, but as learning opportunities.
Show genuine respect for the opinions being expressed
The roles that team members play are also important.
Respect your colleagues' opinions
Respond with an open attitude to different perspectives
Keep trying to be honest
Psychological safety
It is not something that is created by the will of one person.
It is a culture that is formed by the cumulative actions of the entire team.
If your team member isn't speaking, you should change the environment before asking questions.
Just because a leader is good at asking questions doesn't mean team members will necessarily speak up.
Without a sense of security, no question will work.
If leaders want their team members to be honest, they must first create an environment that conveys this message.
“It’s okay to talk here.”
“We are a team that learns together.”
Leader's communication skills # Team leader's communication skills # Leadership communication methods # Communication # Communication # Corporate training # Coaching # Organizational management # Team leader training # One-on-one # Communication skills # Leadership competencies # Performance management # Executive coaching # Leadership coaching # Psychological safety
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