The Cost of Silence: Why Psychological Safety is a Matter of 'Survival,' Not Just 'Comfort'
Today, I want to discuss the most expensive invoice for 'The Cost of Silence.' The fear that made us hesitate in school, thinking 'What if I get it wrong?' is the same fear that exists in our meeting rooms as adults. We keep quiet, worried we might appear incompetent or suffer some disadvantage. Rafael Chiuzi clearly warns in his TEDxMcMasterU talk how this silence puts not just individual potential but the entire organization at risk. This writing isn't about creating a 'comfortable team.' It's about 'psychological safety' as the foundational strength for organizations navigating the age of uncertainty—an essential condition for survival and performance.
Contents
How Silence Invites Disaster: Lessons from Chernobyl and Boeing
The Paradox of Performance: When Numbers Undermine Safety
Psychological Safety is Not 'Comfort'
Three Actions of Leaders: How to Stop 'Whack-a-Mole'
1. How Silence Leads to Disaster: Lessons from Chernobyl and Boeing
Everyone harbors the fear of ‘What if I am wrong?’. What happens when that fear becomes a part of daily life?
Imagine the control room of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in April 1986. Engineers, exhausted and under pressure, detected abnormal signals from the system but were too afraid of rebuke from superiors to raise the issue. In 2018, Ed Pierson, a senior manager at Boeing, reported deadly safety issues with the 737 MAX to the executives, only to be ignored. These two instances of silence ultimately led to disasters that claimed hundreds of lives.
This is the 'cost of silence'. A culture where small issues cannot be raised ultimately faces the biggest failures. When leaders ignore or punish the small voices on the ground, that signal spreads throughout the organization. An unspoken rule emerges: 'Even if you find a problem, don’t speak up. If you do, only you will suffer.'
2. The Paradox of Performance: When Metrics Undermine Safety
We all want to perform, but sometimes that pressure blinds us.
An example from a steel company vividly illustrates this paradox. The company became so obsessed with winning 'safety awards' that employees were driven to manipulate data rather than report actual incidents or hazards. Short-term achievements (safety awards) overrode long-term goals (real safety). Eventually, the hidden risks erupted the following year, leading to a tragedy with multiple casualties.
This evokes the saying, "A bad system will beat a good person every time." An organization that asks 'Who was at fault?' when a mistake occurs merely ends up blaming individuals. However, an organization that asks 'How did this happen, and how can we prevent it?' learns and improves the system. When pressure for performance turns into fear of punishment, the organization cuts off its opportunity to learn.
3. Psychological Safety is Not Just 'Comfort'.
The term 'safety' is often misunderstood as 'comfort' or 'a low standard'.
However, Professor Amy Edmondson from Harvard Business School defines psychological safety as "a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking"—Amy Edmondson, 'The Fearless Organization'. This goes beyond just being on good terms. It means fostering an environment where one can ask difficult questions, constructively challenge colleagues' opinions, and openly admit one's own mistakes.
"Psychological safety [...] is 'a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking'." — Amy Edmondson, quoted in a lecture
A team without psychological safety feels like walking on thin ice, expending energy by cautiously monitoring each other. In contrast, a high psychological safety team resembles children on a playground, freely falling and rising again, attempting new things. The culture where the most authoritative doctor in the hospital operating room asks a nurse to verify a checklist to ensure mistakes are pointed out, as seen in HBR: What Is Psychological Safety? This exemplifies creating 'strong' teams through productive conflicts instead of 'comfortable' teams that avoid disputes.
4. Three Actions for Leaders: How to Stop 'Whac-A-Mole'
Leaders too fear admitting when they are wrong. However, a safe environment begins exactly there.
Imagine a leader declaring "Feel free to speak your mind" in a meeting room. But if they react defensively or frown at new ideas or contrary opinions, team members instantly perceive the real message as 'keep quiet'. Rafael Chiuzi describes this as the 'Whac-A-Mole Culture', hammering down emerging ideas.
Instead of instructing to 'Talk the Talk', leaders must prove through actions that 'it's okay to Walk the Walk'. The lecture suggests three concrete actions.
Demonstrate Leadership and Set an Example: Leaders should show vulnerability first by admitting, "I made a mistake there" or "That's a good point I hadn't considered." This gesture sends the strongest 'permission' signal to team members.
Observe Carefully: Recognize patterns of interaction within the team. Identify if there are individuals who remain silent during meetings or if certain ideas are consistently ignored, as understanding these dynamics is the starting point for change.
Maintain Consistency: Psychological safety is not established through a single event. Trust builds gradually when a consistent attitude of listening and respect is shown in all interactions, be it one-on-one discussions or public meetings.
This applies beyond Western culture. The uniquely Korean 'Kkondae' culture, characterized by authoritarian and hierarchical corporate culture, is a typical example of something that undermines psychological safety. However, the solution transcends cultural differences. When leaders bravely relinquish their authority to create a safe space, that's when teams start to fulfill their potential.
This is why I referred to psychological safety as 'basic strength' at the beginning. It is crucial not only for organizational success but for making our homes and society better places by being a core pillar in human development. How about breaking the silence in our teams today and starting the first honest yet most constructive conversation?
Rafael Chiuzi's lecture warns that the absence of psychological safety can lead to major disasters such as Chernobyl or the Boeing 737 MAX accidents. Psychological safety is not about feeling 'comfortable,' but rather, as defined by Amy Edmondson, it is the 'belief that one can take interpersonal risks.' Leaders must stop the 'whack-a-mole' culture and implement the following three actions. Official TED Talk page
First, demonstrate vulnerability by setting an example.
Carefully observe the interaction patterns within the team.
Create a consistently safe environment through one-on-one conversations, among other methods.
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