Real change needs some tension, not zero — your role isn't removing all discomfort, but keeping it within a range that produces learning, not collapse.

Name your speaker's feeling and confirm it is reasonable, before you propose any solution.

To open trust in a new team, share your failure first — others will open up.

Anonymously ask Edmondson's three questions to score your team's psychological safety.

Invite one person weekly for a simple 30-min tea — builds community fabric from zero.

Before starting, imagine the project failed in six months and write down why.

Before any delegation, answer 7 questions in writing — send them with the handover.

One document answering every "how do we work here?" question for new hires.

Track last 100 support tickets — top 20 repeats = your FAQ page.