Beneath the Surface: On Teams, Trust, and the Work We Cannot Quantify
Somewhere between creative briefs, client calls, and calendar reminders, a team of employees gathered in a meeting room—not to talk about deliverables or deadlines, but about voice, presence, listening, and the subtle choices we make when we communicate.
Over the past four months, I’ve had the opportunity to work with the team at a digital agency, designing and delivering a communication training program tailored to their unique context. The program unfolded gradually, through spaced sessions, which is always ideal because it allows ideas to land, settle, and we are witnesses to the shift in communication.
From the beginning, it was clear this would be different. At Speakout, our programs are never designed to be another checkbox in the “Mandatory Budgets” of corporate training. But in this case, the difference was explicit. The founder of this company was very clear: they weren’t looking for a quick fix. They wanted depth. A process.
A Program Built to Grow Over Time
The structure was deliberate. Four months. Two more sessions still to come.
We began with who we are. How we talk about ourselves when we speak. What our body says before our words arrive. We explored posture, grounding, eye contact, and pacing. We practiced standing in our own voice.
We moved into feedback and psychological safety. What does it take to create a room where people actually feel safe to speak? How do we listen in a way that isn’t performative, but attuned?
Then we entered persuasion—not as a method of control, but as a practice of resonance. We discussed structure, intention, and how to advocate for ideas without overpowering others.
And next, in September, we will enter the work of conflict.
What I have Observed So Far
When you create the conditions for reflection, people begin to reflect. When you invite people to notice, they start to see more, not just in others, but in themselves.
Throughout the sessions, I’ve observed employees pausing before speaking. I’ve seen them reconsider how they respond. They seem more connected to the room. They’re more interested in how a need for communication arises, what generates a behavior, rather than just how it manifests.
There is more empathy in the room—more space. Even the vocal warm-ups, which always bring a wave of laughter at first, are met with full commitment. It is as if people remember something they didn’t know they’d forgotten—that speaking is a physical act, and that voice is not just sound but vibration with extreme power in a room.
None of this change can be measured in numbers; you wouldn’t be able to chart it with graphs. But it is visible. Felt. Real.
The Research Behind the Practice
A 2024 study published in *PLOS ONE* found that fostering psychological safety within teams significantly enhances both innovation and performance, particularly when combined with effective communication practices.
Moreover, findings from The Open Psychology Journal in 2023 reveal a strong connection between psychological safety and enhanced learning and productivity across various industries.
Gallup’s 2023 workplace report indicates that teams that prioritize listening-based leadership report productivity levels that are 50% higher, alongside markedly reduced rates of burnout and turnover.
Additionally, recent research on persuasive communication (2025) emphasizes that confidence—conveyed through clarity and an engaging presence, rather than through dominance—profoundly influences outcomes in non-hierarchical workplace settings.
These aren’t academic footnotes. They’re evidence-based reminders of something we’ve long known at Speakout: that the way we speak, listen, and show up in a room isn’t a side note to the work—it is the work.
A Quiet Kind of Progress
At the end of each session, I often reflect on the same thought: this work is quiet. It doesn’t always come with breakthroughs or applause, but it creates something essential: a shared language, a deeper level of listening, and a transformation in how people relate to themselves and to each other.
And that is a lot.
Further Reading & References
Gallup (2023). State of the Global Workplace Report: The Real Cost of Disengagement. staffbase.com
Gartner (2023). Psychological Safety as a Predictor of Team Productivity and Innovation.
McKinsey & Company (2022). The State of Organizations 2022: Resilience, Clarity, and Connection in Hybrid Workplaces.
Jin, H., & Peng, Y. (2024). The Impact of Team Psychological Safety on Employee Innovative Performance: A Study with Communication Behavior as a Mediator. PLOS ONE. journals.plos.org
The Open Psychology Journal (2023). Psychological Safety and Team Learning Across Industries: A Meta-Analytical Review. openpsychologyjournal.com
University of Michigan Ross School of Business (2025). New Study Shows Unique Insights on Confidence in the Workplace. michiganross.umich.edu
Edmondson, A. (2019). The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth. Wiley.
Schiappa, E., & Nordin, J. P. (2013). Argumentation: Keeping Faith with Reason. Pearson.
Cuddy, A. (2015). Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges. Little, Brown Spark.
Brown, B. (2018). Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. Random House.
