Case study: Silence in the team
The operations team at the logistics company is achieving very good results.
Projects are completed on time and performance indicators remain high.
At first glance – everything works.
Situation
During team meetings:
- no one reports problems
- the discussions are short and superficial
- the leader quickly moves on to the next topic
However, outside of meetings:
- employees exchange frustrations in private conversations
- errors are fixed “silently”
- some people avoid speaking out to avoid being judged
The team works efficiently – but does not talk openly about problems.
The turning point
There is a serious operational error that could have been caught earlier.
It turns out that several people noticed the risk – but no one reported it.
What happened here?
- lack of psychological safety
- fear of judgment or consequences
- the belief that “it’s better to keep a low profile”
The silence was misinterpreted as a lack of problems.
Consequences
- errors were not reported on time
- risks grew in secret
- trust in the team has decreased
How could this have been prevented?
- regular questions about difficulties and risks
- appreciating people who report problems
- creating a space for open, judgment-free conversation
Psychological safety is not the absence of problems – but the willingness to disclose them.
What is not heard often has the greatest impact.