Boeing, A Cautionary Tale In Psychological Safety

Boeing’s CEO has stepped down amidst safety concerns on recent flights. Reports confirm a culture where business results have been prioritized over safety issues, with employees not feeling safe speaking up about safety concerns. This cautionary tale is all too common in Corporate America where employees are often the first to see issues, and often the last to report them.

This is costly for business - not just in managing risk, but in missing out on innovative solutions. For example, in the last decade, Volkswagen and Wells Fargo paid nearly $40B in fines and settlements for issues that could have been avoided if they effectively addressed employee concerns.

When employees do not feel comfortable surfacing issues, there is often a gap in psychological safety. In my interview with Betty Thompson, Chief People Officer at Booz Allen Hamilton, she underscored the importance of psychological safety.

“Psychological safety is important because if you are going to get the best from your people - the best thinking, perspectives and skills - people will raise issues. It is important that people know if they see something, they are expected to say something. And, when they speak up, they need to know they will be believed, be heard and trusted and their voice will not be used against them.”

Learn more about the leaders role in psychological safety in my latest Forbes column article featuring Dave Moerlein, ex Google leader and author of The Safety Effect.