My team is highly competent but everyone works in a silo, refusing to ask for help or admit mistakes until it is too late. How do I get them to open up and share vulnerability?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A leadership team that is unwilling to admit mistakes indicates a significant lack of psychological safety. As author Daniel Coyle notes, high-performing teams thrive on shared vulnerability and clear safety cues. When leaders believe that acknowledging an error will harm their standing or invite criticism, they will inevitably conceal problems until they become much larger issues.

To shift this dynamic and build a culture of safety, deliberate actions are required.

Building Trust and Safety

• Embrace the Trust Creation Process: Utilize frameworks like the one outlined by Charles H. Green, which emphasizes focusing on others and encouraging risk-taking. This approach helps foster an environment where team members feel secure enough to be open. For more insights on building trust, see [how to build trust to speak openly during RPRS calls](/qa/building-vulnerability-trust-rprs-calls).

• Lead by Example: As the team leader, you must initiate the process. During your next quarterly meeting, share a personal failure or a decision you regret. This act of vulnerability from the top sets a powerful precedent.

• Reward Vulnerability Immediately: When a team member takes the courageous step to admit a mistake or ask for help, it's crucial to acknowledge and reward this behavior immediately.

• Publicly thank them for their transparency.
• Transition directly into IDS (Identify, Discuss, Solve) to address the issue collaboratively. This shows that the focus is on problem-solving, not blame.
• Clearly communicate that the only unacceptable behavior is hiding a problem.

Shifting Team Dynamics

Over time, these consistent safety cues will transform the team's dynamics. Leaders will spend less energy on status management and more on effectively solving real problems together.

This shift can also influence how your team approaches other structural challenges, such as [how to handle a disagreement between a Visionary and Integrator when they are deadlocked](/qa/visionary-integrator-deadlock-resolution) or even [how to assign ownership to an unwanted seat on the Accountability Chart](/qa/how-to-fill-unwanted-seats-accountability-chart). By fostering a culture where vulnerability is accepted, the team becomes more agile and resilient.

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