When employees are afraid to speak, organisations stop learning

In a Kuala Lumpur corporate office, a CEO asked employees if they had any concerns, expecting an open dialogue. However, silence reigned, contrasted by bustling discussions in the cafeteria. This disparity highlights a prevalent issue in the Malaysian corporate sector: the lack of psychological safety. This environment, where employees feel comfortable voicing their opinions, asking questions, and admitting mistakes, is crucial for an organization's success.

Psychological safety does not imply a lack of accountability; rather, it ensures that individuals can speak honestly while still being answerable for their work. Organizations that foster this atmosphere are better equipped to address problems promptly and enhance employee productivity. Conversely, those that fail to provide such an environment may fail to detect underlying issues, leading to a false sense of control.

Employees often convey what managers desire to hear, preventing managers from gaining a genuine understanding of the organization's challenges.

Without psychological safety, innovation suffers, as mistakes are concealed, and there are few incentives for employees to take initiative or responsibility. Decisions become concentrated at the top, detached from market realities, stifling creativity and agility. An organization lacking a learning culture and failing to inspire confidence among employees is likely to falter.

According to Amy Edmondson, a Harvard scholar who pioneered the concept of psychological safety, employees perform better when they ask questions, raise concerns, admit mistakes, challenge ideas, and seek assistance. Google's Project Aristotle corroborates this, revealing that psychological safety is the most critical factor in effective team dynamics. The ability to speak up, question, and acknowledge errors is vital for team performance.

Malaysian companies can learn from successful models like Pixar, which thrives on candid feedback during Braintrust meetings, allowing creative teams to address weaknesses before projects reach the market. Malaysian managers must recognize that traditional, hierarchical structures are ill-suited to rapidly changing customers and markets.

To remain competitive, employees must be agile, proactive, and swift in decision-making. Psychological safety is essential for enabling employees to take risks, learn from mistakes, and contribute to the organization's agility and adaptability. When employees refrain from speaking out, managers may mistakenly believe everything is under control, but this silence can be a warning sign of deeper issues.

An organization cannot become agile if its workforce is hesitant to share their thoughts. The writer, an MBA graduate from the University of Strathclyde and an experienced professional in financial markets and management education, emphasizes that creating a psychologically safe environment is paramount for Malaysian organizations to navigate the challenges ahead.