InKNOWnative Newsletter
Premium Newsletter Subscription! Nourish your leadership. Strengthen your system. Lead with courage. Get exclusive access to InKNOWnative’s Premium Psychological Safety Newsletter. Each issue is carefully curated with high-impact insights, practical tools, and fresh perspectives rooted in personal experience and observations. In Real Life (IRL) examples to better understand and illustrate psychological safety. Please read this Note from Shari. https://www.inknownative.com/blog/before-you-read-newsletters 👉 Subscribe now and transform your inbox into a Leadership Lifeline.
The Importance of Anonymity: Lessons From the Dance Floor
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...
by InKNOWnative, Shari Soroka —
Aug 29, 2025
amy edmondson
anonymity
confidentiality
fearless organization
leadership lessons
psychological safety
surveys
team culture
trust
The Lack of Psychological Safety in Uncertain Times
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 my...
by InKNOWnative, Shari Soroka —
Aug 18, 2025
agile leadership
business success
chiropractor
employee wellbeing
inclusion
inknownative
leadership
liability
psychological safety
trust
unsafe conditions
workplace culture
workplace support
When the Anti-Agile Bias Becomes Weaponized
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 t...
by InKNOWnative, Shari Soroka —
Aug 18, 2025
anti-agile
bias
isolation
psychological safety
retaliation
weaponization
When the Ugly Sweater Unravels: A Lesson in Collaboration and Boundaries
We’ve all had moments in our careers where the line between professional collaboration and personal relationships becomes blurry. Sometimes, what starts as a fun, casual venture devolves into frustration and disappointment. Today, I want to share a story that illustrates this challenge, especiall...
by InKNOWnative, Shari Soroka —
Aug 17, 2025
agile leadership
boundaries
collaboration
healthy boundaries
psychological safety
trust building
volunteer experience
workplace culture
When AI Breaks Trust: How Recording Tools Undermine Psychological Safety
We live in an era of incredible technological advancement. Artificial Intelligence (AI) now has the power to record, transcribe, caption, summarize, and even generate action items from our meetings—all in real time. In theory, these tools are designed to increase accessibility, efficiency, and pr...
by InKNOWnative, Shari Soroka —
Aug 17, 2025
ai tools
artificial intelligence
inclusive leadership
psychological safety
remote work
surveillance culture
team dynamics
technology and ethics
trust in organizations
workplace culture
When Radical Candor Goes Wrong: A TRIZ Tale of Psychological Safety Breakdown
This story began as a practice session for facilitators—experienced professionals coming together to sharpen their skills and model what psychological safety looks like. Instead, it unraveled into a case study of what happens when psychological safety is presumed, not built.
Split into small grou...
by InKNOWnative, Shari Soroka —
Aug 17, 2025
belonging at work
burnout prevention
empathy at work
fearless organizations
human centered leadership
inknownative
mental health at work
psychological safety
radical candor
safe to be me
triz
trust culture
workplace wellness
When Trust Is Off the Menu: What Restaurant Work Teaches Us About Psychological Safety
Restaurant work is often described as the ultimate teamwork training ground—fast-paced, collaborative, and agile by nature. When trust erodes and psychological safety is absent, even friendly co-workers can become competitors, and small mistakes turn into big accusations. In this InKNOWnative New...
by InKNOWnative, Shari Soroka —
Aug 17, 2025
agile in service industry
conflict resolution
inclusion
leadership lessons
psychological safety
restaurant teamwork
team dynamics
tip pooling
trust at work
workplace culture
workplace fairness
When Ego Sabotages Success: A Story of Missed Opportunities for Psychological Safety
Discover how ego derailed a critical project and led to the failure of a product, highlighting the importance of psychological safety and collaboration. Learn what could have been done differently to foster a more supportive and successful environment.
There are moments in our careers where we le...
by InKNOWnative, Shari Soroka —
Aug 17, 2025
agile
coaching
ego
ego in leadership
inknownative
leadership
organizational culture
product management
psychological safety
sabotage
scrum master
teamwork
When Psychological Safety Efforts Fail Before They Even Begin
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. Eac...
by InKNOWnative, Shari Soroka —
Aug 17, 2025
hidden motives
not agile
not ready
not set up for success
psychological safety
show me the money
When Collaboration Breaks: A Cautionary Tale from a Community of Practice
Why I Believe in Communities of Practice
I’ve always valued Communities of Practice (CoPs). They offer space to connect, reflect, learn, teach, and exchange ideas with others in similar roles. In most organizations I’ve joined, I’ve often been the one to start or revive a CoP—even when others sho...
by InKNOWnative, Shari Soroka —
Aug 17, 2025
agile coaching
boundaries
collaboration
community of practice
cop facilitation
feedback culture
leadership
psychological safety
team dynamics
trust
When Moira and David Rose Demonstrate An Example of Unhelpful Feedback
If you’ve seen Schitt’s Creek Season 2, Episode 2, you probably still smile at the infamous cooking scene. Moira and David are in the kitchen making enchiladas, following a family recipe. David, eager to get it right, asks how to perform one particular step. Moira, with her usual flair, repeats, ...
by InKNOWnative, Shari Soroka —
Aug 17, 2025
agile coaching
agile transformations
clarity in leadership
conference speaking
feedback culture
feedback vs criticism
leadership
professional growth
psychological safety
schitt's creek
team culture
women in leadership
When You’re Mistakenly Blamed—Then Everyone Goes Quiet
As someone who deeply values continuous learning, I was excited to attend a recent webinar hosted by two women I hadn’t seen present together before. The session was small and conversational, with about 30 people on Zoom. It’s the kind of setting where it’s easy to engage. I had high hopes for le...
by InKNOWnative, Shari Soroka —
Aug 17, 2025
accountability
agile community
bias in the workplace
inclusive leadership
microagressions
psychological safety
psychological safety failure
public repair
racial bias
webinar safety
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