A culture of fear and blame is affecting IT workplaces, with 40 percent of IT leaders admitting they are too afraid to acknowledge mistakes, according to new research
The study, by digital transformation provider Adaptavist, surveyed 400 IT leaders across the UK, US and Germany. It found that 44 percent of IT leaders believing that a lack of psychological safety is hindering innovation within their organisations. In addition, 42 percent stated that fear of admitting mistakes is compromising their company’s cyber security.
Workloads and pressure to meet deadlines are also contributing to mistakes. The survey found that 44 percent of IT leaders say their organisation prioritises speed over quality in software development, while 39 percent are concerned that excessive workloads could result in a major incident.
UK IT Leaders Report Greater Concerns
The findings indicate that UK IT leaders experience these challenges more acutely than their counterparts in the US and Germany. In the UK, 54 percent of IT leaders said that a lack of psychological safety is stifling innovation, compared to 42 percent in the US and 37 percent in Germany. Similarly, 47 percent of UK respondents reported a fear of acknowledging mistakes, compared to 39 percent in the US and 36 percent in Germany.
The study also revealed gender differences in leadership experiences. Male IT leaders reported higher rates of fear in admitting mistakes (45 percent) compared to female leaders (29 percent).
Jon Mort, CTO of Adaptavist, said, “The technology industry’s culture of excessive workloads, fear and blame has been allowed to develop over the last few decades due to the high-stakes nature of IT. This is and has always been an extremely damaging mindset that risks security, innovation and workplace wellbeing.”
The Role of Radical Candour in Improving Tech Culture
To address these challenges, Mort advocates for adopting ‘radical candour’, a communication framework that encourages clear and constructive feedback without fostering blame.
“Adopting a ‘radical candour’ approach is key to creating an effective feedback loop that prioritises efficiency and learning, without ever inducing ‘blame’,” Mort said.
Only 41 percent of IT leaders say their organisation currently supports a radical candour approach to feedback. Meanwhile, 55 percent acknowledge that such a system is not yet fully in place. Additionally, one in four IT leaders reported that their organisation still prioritises a culture of blame over learning.
