A Cautionary Tale of Psychological Safety

In October 2018, the world was rocked by tragedy.

The new and improved Boeing 737 Max plummeted into the waters off Indonesia.

All passengers and crew were killed.

189 people died.

Just five months later, the unthinkable happened yet again.

A brand new Boeing 737 Max crashed in Ethiopia

157 people died.

How did Boeing, the biggest player in aviation, allow two consecutive disasters with its new 737 Max plane?

Come gather around for this cautionary tale of psychological safety.

“What went wrong? I want answers now!”

The world was shocked.

Yet Ed Pierson, a former senior manager at a Boeing factory in Seattle, remained unsurprised.

Investigations delved deep, uncovering myriad issues. Beneath it all lay a common thread: fear.

People were afraid to voice their concerns.

Fear spreads like a forest fire in the absence of psychological safety — a concept popularised by Amy Edmondson at Harvard Business School.

Psychological safety (definition). The belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes, and that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking. — Amy Edmondson (Author & Professor of Leadership and Management)

Safe inter-personal feedback was precisely the opposite of what occurred at Boeing.

When production pressure for the new plane increased, the Boeing factory pivoted from small team meetings to wide open floor meetings. Hundreds of staff members gathered in one place. Frontline manufacturing managers were publicly shamed in these meetings if they didn't meet specific targets.

When Ed Pierson approached the most senior manager at the factory to express his concerns about psychological safety, his voice was silenced.

Boeing did not have a technical issue. They had a cultural issue.

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What are the warning signs of team leaders ignoring psychological safety?

• When you see a team leader assert that the reason for a specific decision is "above my pay grade."
• When you observe leaders perpetually sharing only positive news within the organisation.
• When team members frame near misses as "business as usual" instead of reporting it to their team leader.
• When you notice people in your team speaking differently behind leaders' backs compared to what they say to their faces.
• When HR teams and leaders resort only to 360 anonymous surveys for gathering feedback on the team culture.

In environments where psychological safety is lacking, individuals often refrain from speaking out to team leaders or HR due to the fear of repercussions.

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Strategies: Cultivating psychological safety

Why is there a fear of speaking out?

Human nature is for team members to present themselves favourably in the social confines of the work setting. Hierarchical structures, common in large organisations, tend to magnify this innate tendency.

If you observe any of these warning signs in your team’s culture, here are five strategies for strengthening psychological safety:

Strategy I. Normalise Learning from Mistakes

We can all learn from our mistakes, normalising a culture of experimentation without fear of mistakes. For example: “Killed by Google” is a website and an ongoing open-source archive that lists various Google services, projects, and hardware that have been discontinued or shut down over the years.

Strategy II. Prioritise Curiosity over Cleverness

Encourage a growth mindset with team leaders by rewarding curiosity. A shift from being ‘know-it-alls’ to ‘learn-it-alls’ helps to mitigate risks by promoting openness and a willingness to explore new ideas.

Strategy III. Amplify Diverse Voices

Actively seek input from BIPOC employees (black, indigenous, and people of colour), as well as anyone who is less likely to speak up when they don’t feel safe confronting team leaders. By amplifying voices in a safe space, diverse perspectives are heard and valued, reducing the risk of groupthink.

Strategy IV. Champion Constructive Dissent

Netflix promotes a culture where employees are encouraged to challenge ideas and voice dissenting opinions. CEO Reed Hastings values candour and encourages employees to speak up, even if it means disagreeing with him or other leaders. This culture of open dialogue allows Netflix to stay agile and competitive in the fast-paced tech industry.

Strategy V. Lead with Vulnerability

Through small experiments like starting as a street performer, singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer honed her vulnerability. This quality empowered her to raise $1.2 million from her fans and build a community of loyal supporters. Leaders can follow this rockstar’s lead, setting their own examples of vulnerability.

(Read my Substack article on Amanda Palmer’s vulnerable experiments)

May these five strategies help you fly clear of the dangers of overlooking psychological safety.

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🎧 Podcast references:

- WorkLife with Adam Grant ; Ep: Is it Safe to Speak Up at Work? (with transcript)

- Hidden Brain with Shankar Vedantam; Ep: Making the Most of Your Mistakes

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