Clarity Safety: The Missing Link for Feedback

These pictures were taken in the same place. In the clear image, my dog Leo and I know where to go and feel safe. In the second, the clouds roll in, and suddenly, the path is unclear—do we keep moving or stop altogether?

This is exactly what happens when we are at work. When clarity fades, people hesitate, withdraw, and stop contributing. Feedback slows or disappears, not because people don’t care, but because they’re unsure if their input matters or even fits the bigger picture.

The Importance of Feeling Safe to Speak Up

Psychological research and real-world experience confirm that when employees feel safe, they engage more, contribute ideas, and help their teams navigate complexity. This sense of safety in teams can be broken down into two critical components:

Psychological safety/ Interpersonal Safety – The belief that our relationships can withstand some emotional hits and that we will continue to trust and even like each other. It ensures one can express thoughts, ask questions, or make mistakes without fear of embarrassment, punishment, or negative consequences.

Clarity Safety – The sense of clarity around purpose, strategy, goals, and results measurement, ensuring that individuals know where they are going, where they fit, how they are progressing, and have a good understanding of their situation.

While psychological safety has been widely studied (notably by Amy Edmondson), Clarity Safety is an often-overlooked but equally vital factor in fostering engagement, trust, and open feedback.

The Research Behind Clarity Safety

Our Feedback First 2.0 research and experience working with both regular and project teams confirm that clarity is a major driver of engagement and communication.

When people don’t understand their role, the strategy, or how their work connects to the bigger picture, they are less likely to contribute feedback or take initiative.

Key findings include:

• Lack of clarity increases anxiety and disengagement – Studies show that role ambiguity and confusion about strategy increase stress and decrease team collaboration (Mañas et al., 2018).

• Psychological safety alone isn’t enough – Even in teams where people feel safe from judgment, they may hold back feedback if they aren’t sure about the team’s priorities (Qian et al., 2018).

• Transparent goals and performance metrics boost contribution – Teams with clearly defined objectives, KPIs, and strategies show significantly higher levels of open communication and proactive problem-solving (Google’s Project Aristotle, 2016).

  
  

These insights highlight why clarity and safety must be actively cultivated, not assumed. It is a leadership job to set and communicate this clarity.

The Challenge: Clarity Erodes Over Time (if provided at all)

Many teams and large cross-functional projects start with a clear purpose and strategic direction. There’s an initial sense of shared vision and alignment. However, as projects evolve, priorities shift, and communication fails to keep up with changes, people can feel lost.

When Clarity Safety erodes, team members often:

1. Retreat into silos – Without a clear understanding of how work connects, individuals and teams focus only on their immediate tasks, reinforcing biases about other groups.

2. Hesitate to give feedback – If the purpose or goals are unclear, people may second-guess whether their feedback is relevant or needed.

3. Feel disengaged – A lack of clarity leads to uncertainty, which causes frustration and lowers motivation.

This breakdown is particularly dangerous in complex, cross-functional teams, where frequent changes require continuous realignment. Team members here often have regular day jobs and are therefore pulled in different directions, which produces stress, irritation, and potential burnout. If leaders fail to reinforce clarity, even the most capable teams can drift apart, lose trust, and default to defensive behaviors.

1. Communicate Clearly, Consistently, and Often (WHY)

Clarity isn’t a one-time event—it requires repetition. For a leader, this means that when you get very bored of listening to yourself, you are starting to make sense. Teams and leaders should continuously reinforce direction and purpose. While this is easier at the start, it also needs regular resets.

Leaders should:

• Reiterate purpose and strategy in meetings and communications.

• Encourage questions to ensure ongoing alignment.

• Clarify how individual contributions connect to the bigger picture.

When people understand why their work matters, they stay engaged, proactive, and open to feedback.

2. Establish Role Clarity and Expectations (WHO)

Unclear roles create hesitation and reduced accountability. To foster clarity:

Clearly define responsibilities and how they align with team goals.

Use visual tools (e.g., RACI charts) to clarify ownership in cross-functional projects.

Regularly check in to ensure alignment and make necessary adjustments.

When people know their role, they feel confident speaking up and contributing.

3. Maintain Transparency (WHAT & HOW)

Transparency isn’t just about big decisions—it’s about continuous visibility. People need to know where they stand, what’s changing, and why.

To build transparency:

1. Share both successes and failures openly.

2. Explain strategic shifts so people understand the reasoning.

3. Use dashboards and real-time tools to provide a clear, accessible view of progress.

Making information visible prevents speculation, builds trust, and keeps feedback flowing.

Conclusion: Clarity Safety Drives Feedback

When teams understand their purpose, roles, and progress, they feel safe speaking up and contributing meaningful feedback. Without clarity, hesitation creeps in, and feedback stops.

Leaders who consistently communicate and provide transparency create an environment where feedback isn’t just encouraged; it becomes second nature.