Great teams care too much about each other to simply sit silently.
There I was leading a team meeting and I really did not feel like we had progressed on anything for the last ten minutes.
The room was pretty silent.
People started functioning like bobble heads.
We had a good team.
Creative ideas.
People bought into the vision.
Yet we had hit a lull.
Maybe everyone was busy.
Maybe people were tired.
Maybe they simply wanted to get through the meeting and move on to the next thing.
I had debated doing this the week before.
This time I decided it was time to pull the trigger.
As we continued discussing the idea on the table, well sort of discussing it because nobody was really talking, I did it.
I purposely took us down the wrong path.
I gave them the dumbest idea I could think of.
The idea borrowed small pieces from several conversations we had the week before, but it was not enough of anything to actually make sense.
Even worse, it would not have served our guests in a positive way.
I looked around the room.
Silence.
Bobble heads.
People seemingly agreeable.
And that is when I realized we did not have agreement.
We had compliance.
I looked at one staff member and said, “Great. Glad we all agree. Could you please type this up and have it ready for my 3:00 p.m. meeting later today?”
“Sure.”
I could see the other seven people in the room looking at each other.
You know the look.
The same look people had during COVID when masks covered everything except their eyes.
Everyone knew something was wrong.
Nobody was saying it.
Then finally, one brave soul stepped up.
He said,
“Actually, I do not think this is the right direction.”
I smiled.
I said,
“Ok. What could be better?”
He gave a short but impactful forty five second explanation of why this was not the best route and suggested an alternative.
I then asked if anyone else had feedback.
Suddenly we had a beautiful fifteen minute conversation that created solutions for a real issue we were trying to solve.
The issue was not that nobody had an opinion.
The issue was that nobody felt safe enough to share it.
That is psychological safety.
And it is not what most people think.
Psychological safety is not about being comfortable.
It is about feeling safe enough to contribute.
Safe enough to disagree.
Safe enough to challenge an idea.
Safe enough to admit a mistake.
Safe enough to ask for help.
We are no longer living in the 1990s.
Though it was a fantastic decade and arguably produced the best music ever.
We should not be hosting bobble head meetings.
As leaders we need staff actively involved in conversations and solutions.
That involvement creates ownership.
Ownership creates commitment.
Commitment creates accountability.
And accountability creates performance.
More importantly, it allows information to flow throughout the organization so ideas, solutions, and knowledge benefit everyone.
That trust.
That ownership.
That commitment.
That belief in each other.
That is what creates psychological safety.
And innovation cannot exist without it.
Psychological safety is not everyone agreeing.
It is everyone knowing they can disagree.
In 2026 we have seen enormous challenges.
Financial.
Social.
Societal.
Relational.
Some organizations are having deep conversations about these challenges and how they impact both personal and professional life.
Others are not.
In some organizations employees are worried about the future.
They lack clarity.
They lack confidence.
They feel disconnected from the vision.
And when people feel disconnected, they become hesitant.
They stop sharing.
They stop challenging ideas.
They stop contributing.
The good news?
Psychological safety is not something you either have or do not have.
It is something you build.
One conversation.
One relationship.
One act of trust at a time.
We have two months remaining in 2026 and the holiday season is approaching.
This is the perfect time to focus on relationships, trust, and commitment.
These are the ingredients that create psychological safety.
If we want peak performance, we need psychological safety.
Be intentional about connecting.
Practice focused listening.
Ask for help.
Invite feedback.
Thank people for their ideas and solutions.
Create an environment where people know they can contribute.
Because every team says they want innovation.
Every team says they want engagement.
Every team says they want high performance.
None of those things happen without psychological safety.
Build trust.
Build relationships.
Build safety.
Everything else becomes possible.
I have facilitated culture and vision workshops with many teams and when employees discuss what they want most, psychological safety is always near the top of the list.
If you need help getting there, let’s connect.
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