Transparency Doesn't Kill Projects. Secrets Do

#10 De-Risking Technical Projects and Teams series

Want the cold, hard truth about project risks? Nobody wants to deliver it. Like an ageing pipeline buried beneath layers of soil, on the surface, everything looks stable; no visible leaks, no red flags. But beneath the surface, pressure is quietly building and micro-cracks remain hidden. Thus, the psychological drive for self-preservation keeps critical issues buried until they explode.

Earlier this year, I watched a talented engineer hesitate during a project review, almost sharing a critical issue before retreating into safer territory. That moment of self-preservation, that split-second choice to avoid potential conflict, ended up costing the project three months of rework. In a culture where psychological safety is missing, transparency becomes the first casualty.

Are your green status reports masking a red reality?

Volkswagen's 2015 emissions scandal is a telling reminder. Their "defeat device" project wasn't just a technical failure – it was a catastrophic example of how lack of psychological safety can bring down an industry giant. Engineers and managers, working in a culture of fear and pressure, actively concealed software designed to cheat emissions tests. The result? $18 billion in fines and devastating reputational damage that could have been avoided if someone had felt safe enough to speak up.

In her 2019 book "The Fearless Organisation," Amy Edmondson reveals how lack of psychological safety costs organisations billions in preventable failures. She argues that in technically complex environments – the fear of speaking up about problems –?is the single biggest predictor of project failure.

Ready to rip off the bandaid? Here's your first move:

Kill the Sugar-Coating.

Create a space where sharing red flags and bad news early is rewarded.

If your status meetings never make you uncomfortable, you're not getting the real story.

Get into the habit of documenting project realities, not project hopes. What you’re aiming for is a 'no-blame' team culture where sharing problems is seen as an act of project salvation, not career suicide. Read that again.

In my experience, when everyone else is hiding problems, transparency becomes a competitive edge. As a leader, the fastest way you can solve issues is to create an environment where your people feel safe enough to acknowledge they exist.

Want to win more clients and deliver projects flawlessly?

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