How to Create a Safe Space for Employee Feedback During Change

“We have a feedback culture.”   That’s what the slide says in your onboarding deck.  But here’s what the team actually feels: → “If I speak up, I’ll be labeled ‘difficult.’” → “If I share the real issue, I’ll lose trust.” → “If I name what’s broken, I’ll be the problem.” That’s not feedback. That’s fear. And fear doesn’t build trust. It builds silence. Here’s how to start changing that 👇 1️⃣ Ask questions they’re scared to answer. Try: “What’s one thing we’re not talking about that we should be?” 2️⃣ Respond to feedback like it’s a gift especially when it stings. If you defend, they won’t bring it again. 3️⃣ Give feedback in real time, not once a year. Waiting for performance reviews = waiting too long. 4️⃣ Model emotional regulation. Your tone and energy determine if the room opens up or shuts down. 5️⃣ Normalize disagreement. If your team always agrees with you, they probably don’t feel safe enough to be honest. 6️⃣ Show them how to speak up then protect them when they do. Psychological safety isn’t just permission. It’s protection. 7️⃣ Do your own work. Your self-awareness sets the ceiling for theirs. No inner work = no outer trust. You don’t earn trust through words. You earn it through nervous systems. Because if people can’t breathe around you, they won’t be honest with you. Want to lead a team where truth feels safe? Start with how you listen. - ♻️ Repost to help leaders prioritize psychological safety 🔔 Follow me Julia Laszlo for radically honest leadership talk

Psychological safety isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s the foundation of every high-performing team. But let’s be honest: Most teams don’t feel safe. Here’s what that looks like: — People stay silent in meetings — Mistakes are hidden, not discussed — New ideas are shared in DMs, not out loud — Feedback is rare — or sugar-coated That’s not a sign of weak people. It’s a sign of weak leadership. Here’s how to build real psychological safety: 1. Listen to understand, not respond — Focus fully on what’s said without interrupting — Pause thoughtfully before replying 2. Welcome different opinions — Ask: “How do you see this differently?” — Encourage curiosity, not dismissal 3. Normalize healthy disagreement — Say: “Disagreement helps us grow — let’s explore it” — Stay calm and curious, not defensive 4. Respond to mistakes with learning, not blame — Ask: “What’s the lesson here for all of us?” — Celebrate courage to try, even when it leads to mistakes 5. Be vulnerable first — Share your doubts openly — Say: “Here’s where I’m stuck — any ideas?” 6. Create emotional safety — Make it clear: “All feelings are valid here” — Notice and address emotional undercurrents early 7. Encourage open feedback — both ways — Ask: “What can I do differently to help you succeed?” — Show gratitude for honest feedback 8. Build and maintain trust — Be consistent, honest, and transparent — Say: “Here’s what I’m working on — let’s keep each other informed” 9. Praise publicly, correct privately — Recognize achievements openly — Use the “feedback sandwich” for tough conversations 10. Support autonomy and growth — Say: “Feel free to experiment and learn — I’m here to support you” — Trust your team to build confidence and growth You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be intentional. Because when people feel safe, they stop holding back — and start showing up. 🔁 Find this helpful? Repost for your network. 📌 Follow Natan Mohart for practical leadership insights.

Creating Teams Where People Actually Speak Up Want your best team members to share their real thoughts? Most don't. The Four Seasons hotel chain discovered why. Every morning, managers share what went wrong yesterday. No blame. Just solutions. Their "Glitch Report" meetings transform errors into wins. As their CEO says, "What's important isn't the error. It's the recovery." Here's how to build this psychological safety on your team: 1. Make failure acceptable. Leaders must fail first. Your team watches what you do, not what you say. Admit your mistakes before asking others to share theirs. 2. Ensure that all voices are heard. Try the speaking chip method. Give everyone five chips. Each comment costs one chip. When you're out, you listen. Suddenly, your quietest team members become your most valuable. 3. Make feedback safe. Create consequence-free critique sessions. People hold back honest feedback when they fear being blamed if their suggestion causes problems. Set clear expectations. "Your job is to point out problems, my job is to decide what to fix." After the session, the project owner makes decisions independently, protecting both the feedback giver and the creative vision. Psychological safety isn't just a workplace luxury—it's the difference between a team that merely performs and one that consistently breaks through to excellence.

When it comes to sharing difficult emotions at work, the research is clear. But how do you invite them while keeping deliverables on track & avoiding constant complaining? Here are 3 tactics. Many leaders don’t want to invite the expression of difficult emotions into the work because... 🛑 they’re afraid it’ll derail productivity. 🛑 they’re already burned out from being the office “therapist.” 🛑 it’s just…a lot. But here’s what Change Enthusiasm Global's data tells us: ↪️ 72–77% of employees (region-specific) are more likely to engage in a change initiative when they feel safe sharing difficult emotions about that change. Let me say it louder: EMOTIONAL SAFETY DRIVES CHANGE READINESS So how do you honor the emotion without getting pulled under? Here are 3 tactics to let the research work for you — even if you're emotionally exhausted: ------ 1. Structure the conversation. When a team member brings you a difficult emotion, guide them with this frame: 1️⃣ What’s the situation or challenge? 2️⃣ What emotion(s) are you feeling? 3️⃣ What’s one action you’re committing to to help you move forward? 4️⃣ What does support look like from me? 5️⃣ Then follow up. A week later. A month later. Let them know you saw them — and you’re still with them. ------ 2. Invite grace, not guilt. You can’t be a safe space if you’re running on empty. ✅ So when you’re not in the headspace to hold someone’s emotion, say so. “I care about this. And I want to be fully present. Can we circle back later today?” That’s self-awareness, not selfishness. ------ 3. Normalize the language of feeling. Embrace vulnerability by naming your own signal emotions. ✅ Model what it looks like to feel, then choose. grace and growth. ✅ When feelings become part of the culture, they stop feeling like a threat. ----- Here’s the truth: Emotion is already in the room. You’re either creating space for it to move or letting it fester underground. This is not about coddling. It’s about cultivating... ➡️ Resilience. ➡️ Ownership. ➡️ Growth. ➡️ Results. ⁉️ Which of the three tactics do you employ most often? ♻️ Repost to promote leading with both empathy and clarity. Download our full research whitepapers to learn more: https://lnkd.in/ennTss8p