Rafael Chiusi

But when listening to new ideas, different ideas, they instantly become defensive or very territorial about their own position.

Well, they are sending a powerful implicit message.

Just shut up.

I call this the whack-a-mole culture.

You know, that fun arcade game where kids must whack the moles in the head to score some points?

It works the same way in cultures where fear is predominant and safety is scarce.

Employees voice their opinion, and in exchange, you get a whack in the head.

Sometimes even in public.

Well, I guarantee you after the second or third whack, they have learned their lesson.

Do not speak up.

Now imagine hundreds or thousands of employees thinking like that.

So why does this matter?

Why having this culture of fear is not good for you?

Well, psychological safety has proven to be the most powerful predictor for team success.

There is robust empirical scientific evidence that it enhances team performance, creativity, team learning, team confidence, and synergy.

And that is just to mention a few.

To put that to the test, I did an experiment with one of my courses at the university.

One of the components of this course is a big group project that students must present at the end of the semester.

And it's one that requires a lot of creativity and some risk taking.

So I asked them, what is this thing that scares you the most?