The Unexpected Secret to Thriving Teams

I often reflect on the people I have worked with and why I was successful, and it all boilded down to one thing: I had the most success when I showed a genuine & honest relationship with my colleagues, employees or bosses. A relationship were I was able to voice a criticism without being backstabbed afterwards. A story you can tell me without being badmouthed or gossiped about afterwards.

To be honest, back in my corporate times, I struggled to share private stories with people around me, since many used it to create a story of their own (My favorite till now: I always worked for pleaseure because my dad is a Millionaire…. I still have hope it is not only a rumor).

These days we summarize this culture under the word ‘Psychological Safety’. We have all learned this term in the past few years - back in the days we established ‘fuck up nights’ to share mishaps and failures. We encouraged people to ‘fail fast and fail often’. I tell you the truth: Yes this was nice employer marketing, but reality at work looks different.

Driven & researched by Harvard’s Amy Edmondson, psychological safety means feeling safe to speak up, take risks, and even stumble—without worrying about judgment or backlash. Google’s groundbreaking Project Aristotle revealed it’s the defining factor for team success.

Here is some very hands on advice which will make the average techie move out of its comfort zone:

• Jump over your shadow: Many think, you are not supposed to share too many personal details and keep it professional - drop that.

• Show a sincere interest: Besides the daily hustle of work, a little side of humanity does good to everyone. Maybe you can just ask: are you nervous for the upcoming presentation ? An answer could be: Don’t worry, I got your back. Or even more: I believe in you.

• Allow critical but integrative conversations: Instead of talking things down, try to hear out the people and ask why. Why do you think the timeline can’t be met - what does it take from all of us to make it happen.

Final advice: Take a laugh - having fun doesn’t do no harm.

It’s not just about failing, it is about creating a place at work to actually feel heard about. Organizations with this safety net see happier employees, stronger collaboration, and a magnetic pull for top talent.
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Till then,

Sophie