Good leaders are able to mobilize their team to get the jobs done.

Great leaders do that while creating an environment of psychological safety and trust.

Without this, no one will take the risk of speaking up.  If no one speaks up, kind and honest feedback can’t happen.  If honest feedback doesn’t happen, the job may get done, but how?  At the cost of:

~Demotivation and disinterest, which leads to members contributing the bare-minimum required.

~Lack of improvement in skill and character (including the leader’s)

~Poorer performance and outcome, due to both the above

~Team dysfunction and disunity, due to lack of mutual trust

~Eventual breakdown, as members quit either physically or mentally

Conversely, when a leader creates that environment of psychological safety and trust, honest feedback does happen, which results in:

~Higher motivation and owning the vision, which leads to members giving their best.

~Improved skill and character all around (including the leader’s)

~Higher-performance and greater outcome, due to both the above

~Excellent team dynamics resulting from mutual trust and people helping each other out.

~The whole team benefits, those counting on them benefit, everyone wins.

Picture yourself by a lake or pool– you’re considering entering it, but you want to make sure it’s calm enough (not too wavy or full of splashing), warm enough, and clean enough (clear, not murky).  Otherwise, you won’t feel free to jump in.  It has to be safe and comfortable. 

Sharing honest feedback with another person or group is like taking a leap into that water.  We have to be sure it’s safe before we “take the plunge”!

So now the question becomes, “How do I, the leader, create this kind of environment, where the ‘water’ is calm, warm, and clean enough for team members to jump in with their honest feedback?”  Here are some suggestions:

1. Model and encourage receptivity, vs. defensiveness—As leaders, it’s up to us to show willingness to receive feedback, regardless of how it’s given or how much we feel it’s accurate.  We need to be the mature one in the room.  Say “thank you for sharing”, and state our appreciation for their concern.  Then, in private, we can decide what to keep and what to discard as “hogwash”. (Prov. 12:1)

If we show any kind of resistance, defensiveness, or pushback, that will send two messages: “Don’t speak up to or in front of the leader”; and “Why should we accept any kind of criticism if he/she doesn’t?”

2. Model and encourage authenticity—the more of our true selves we bring to work or any group, the more our team will be able to relate to us.  This doesn’t mean inappropriately dumping all our emotions on people we hardly know.  But it does mean not holding back, pretending, or hiding, for fear others won’t respect us if they find out who we really are.  The truth is, people see through facades, especially those “worn” by leaders.  Trust and respect are built on reality, not “empty suits”.  (Prov. 10:9, 12:22; Ps. 34:13)

3. Model and encourage graciousness– Create and permeate the atmosphere with it, like the fragrance of fresh pine in a forest.  Make sure no one gets shut down, ignored, emotionally invalidated, or ostracized for speaking up.  Instead, starting with the leader, others show interest, listen, validate, and accept them, regardless of whether they agree or not. (Col. 4:6)

4. Model and encourage trustworthiness— This means integrity, reliability, and faithfulness, doing what we say we should and will do.  When we demonstrate this consistently, it leads to others trusting us with what’s on their hearts and minds.  Same with each of them for each other. (Lk. 16:10)

5. Model and encourage humility– Admit and publicly own what we need to change and improve in.  Not because we want to beat ourselves up or look like low self-esteem is a virtue. Rather, because we want to model a growth-mindset and willingness to learn for the sake of the team. (Phil. 2:3-4)

6. Model and encourage unity, vs. divisiveness— No cliques, no factions, no “us vs. them”.  No one wants to speak up or divulge information with “extra” people or “the enemy” present!  Build a sense of “all of us in it together”, and members will open up to everyone, including the leader. (1 Cor. 1:10; Rom. 14:19)

7. Model and encourage encouragement—This goes along with unity.  When people know we’re for them, as well as with them, they’ll feel safe and even glad to contribute to any discussion, “visioneering”, or problem-solving.  One person’s win becomes everyone’s win when we actively affirm and encourage each other.  Building others up vs. tolerating or even creating a competitive spirit on the team brings out the best input from everyone. (1 Thes. 5:11)

Who wants to speak up to get shot down, ignored, dismissed, or have it used against them later?  All of these happen when team members see each other as “the competition/rivals”.  They become like crabs in a bucket, pulling down anyone who seems to be getting ahead of and above them.

8. Model and encourage the right way to give feedback so others aren’t afraid to receive or give it themselves. 

Here is the right, constructive, way:

• “Sandwich technique”—begin with affirmation (something they’ve done or are doing right); state the need for improvement; end with affirmation (stating that we believe in them).  This makes it easier to “swallow” the feedback!
• No buts about it—Going along with the above— The word “but” negates everything that comes before it, meaning the recipient will consider any affirmation we gave them insincere. In other words, as soon as “but” butts in, it renders the previous words “cow patties” (polite term) in the mind of the hearer.  It’s better to say something like this:  “You’re very capable and skilled…AND you can make your work even better by…” 
• Gentle—no need to blast anyone or “machine-gun” harp on their faults or weaknesses
• Address specific behaviors vs. their character or them as people.  “At this time, you did/didn’t…”, vs. “You idiot!”
• Offer encouraging solutions—Something specific they can do to rectify past mistakes, if possible, and improve for better outcomes in the future.  Not just “You blew it. Now we’re/you’re stuck with…”
• Come alongside them—guide—don’t prod, beat, or condescend.  Demonstrate that your input is part of being for them, not against them.
• Follow the “Golden Rule” of feedback (Mat. 7:12) – “Give feedback as you would want others to give feedback to you!”

9. Model an aversion to gossip and discourage it in others— Initiating, receiving, or passing along gossip, however disguised as “helpful information”, just breeds division and mistrust.  It pollutes the atmosphere of the team, and makes anyone considering sharing feedback back away from the “dirty water”, much like no one would want to enter a lake full of toxic waste.  Gossip, indeed, is toxic to any team. (Prov. 11:13)

Follow these guidelines for creating an environment of psychological safety and trust, and your people will know it’s safe to “let go, take the leap” and speak up.