Your team is staying silent—here’s why (and how to fix it)

Welcome back!

Why your team is afraid to speak up (and what to do about it)

Ever sat in a meeting, asked for input, and got… crickets? That awkward silence isn’t just shyness—it’s a sign your team doesn’t feel safe enough to speak up. And when employees don’t feel safe to challenge ideas, admit mistakes, or share concerns, companies stagnate.

Psychological safety is the secret weapon of high-performing teams. Research shows it leads to 76% higher engagement, 74% lower stress, and a 50% jump in productivity. Google even studied it for years and found it’s the #1 factor in successful teams. Yet, most leaders assume they have it—when, in reality, only 26% of workplaces actually do.

So why aren’t people speaking up?

• Fear of looking stupid – No one wants to be the person with the "bad idea" in the room.

• Past backlash – If someone once got shut down for giving feedback, they’re not trying again.

• Blame culture – If mistakes = punishment, people will hide problems instead of fixing them.

How do you fix it?

• Make risk-taking normal – Stop punishing mistakes. Reframe failures as learning moments. Encourage bold ideas.

• Ditch the blame game – If people think speaking up = getting shut down, they’ll stay quiet. Leaders should admit their own mistakes first.

• Encourage real talk – “Does anyone have feedback?” won’t cut it. Ask direct questions, reward honesty, and actually act on input.

Companies like Google and NASA swear by this. Why? Because when people feel safe to challenge, contribute, and take risks, innovation thrives.

The big takeaway? If your team’s staying quiet, it’s not because they have nothing to say. It’s because they don’t feel safe saying it.

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HR updates

• Apple shareholders voted to keep DEI initiatives, but Tim Cook warned that legal shifts might force future changes.

• About half of federal workers responded to Musk’s email demanding work summaries, despite agencies telling employees to ignore it.

• The Supreme Court is reviewing the “background circumstances” rule in a reverse discrimination case, which could change how majority-group bias claims are handled.

• A third of HR professionals lack AI guidelines, raising risks of bias, discrimination claims, and security concerns in hiring practices.

• 61% of HR professionals are using AI in hiring, but with many lacking clear policies, concerns over transparency and bias remain.

Why DEI is going underground in the Trump era

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) once dominated corporate playbooks. Now? It’s the topic executives don’t want to talk about.

A new survey of C-suite leaders shows that after Trump’s return to office, 53% of companies are scaling back DEI programs, citing legal risks and government scrutiny. The biggest move? Silence.

• 61% of execs are scrubbing DEI language from websites, reports, and external communications—especially federal contractors and public companies under pressure.

• 55% fear lawsuits or regulatory crackdowns, leading many to rebrand initiatives under less controversial names.

• But not everyone is backing down—47% of execs say their DEI commitments remain unchanged or are even growing.

Apple just won a battle against an anti-DEI shareholder push, signaling that for some companies, diversity still makes business sense. But the reality? DEI isn’t disappearing—it’s just going quiet.

What we’re reading

WorkLife: Gen Z is the secret weapon for reshaping corporate culture.

HR Dive: 4 ways to focus on talent retention, according to The Conference Board.