When Psychological Safety Efforts Fail Before They Even Begin
by InKNOWnative, Shari Soroka
Aug 17, 2025
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The Scrum Master contract role I accepted came with a challenge baked into the DNA of the organization: they weren’t exactly fans of agile.
This wasn’t a case of “we’re just getting started and need help.” This was an organization that had tried to adopt agile at least four times in the past. Each attempt sputtered out. The reasons were varied—lack of leadership buy-in, siloed thinking, an overemphasis on process without understanding principles—but the net effect was the same: a half-hearted agile culture where people were used to doing things the old way.
Introduction: Why Anonymity Isn’t Optional
When we think about psychological safety, we often imagine teams openly sharing ideas, leaders inviting dissent, and colleagues having the courage to speak up. But the foundation of that trust is fragile—especially in environments where relationships and reputations matter deeply.
Anonymity is not about hiding. It’s about creating the conditions where ...
The economic downturn of the early 2000s, coupled with the tech bubble and widespread mortgage crisis, marked a time of immense uncertainty for many of us. Jobs were scarce, and financial security seemed like an impossible dream for those hit hardest by the fallout. During this period, I found myself navigating a patchwork of odd jobs—working in a restaurant, taking on temp roles, and eventuall...
There’s an unspoken risk that comes with being a Scrum Master in a culture where agile is a checkbox, not a value. That risk grows exponentially when your manager sees no value in your role at all. They see contractors as less value as well and will defend their full-time employees.
I was hired to support teams using agile. The manager I ultimately reported to? A former developer who never embr...
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