Psychological safety does not mean job security. And Logan Sargeant will now realize this more than anyone.
During the #AustralianGP race weekend his team mate Alex Albon crashed his car during FP1. It was damaged beyond repair, and as Williams Racing did not have a third chassis available to them, James Vowles made the (much debated) decision to give Logan Sargeant's car to Alex (meaning Logan would not be able to compete for the rest of the weekend).
I'll admit, it took me a while to form my opinion on this from a culture perspective. However, ultimately I believe this is the a prime example of how a sustainable high performance culture works. Based on the data the team had available to them, the optimal decision for the team was to put Alex in the car, as that would maximize their chances of scoring points.
James Vowles perfectly explains it in this video: https://lnkd.in/erTczVm5
The only data they used to make this decision was that of the first three race weekends of 2024. Not last year's. So while it may seem unfair, and it may seem like a vote of distrust in Logan's driving abilities, this is actually 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 what I mean when I talk about challenging your biases in decision making.
James took all emotion out of the decision, and simply looked at the data he had available to him. Whether or not it 'felt unfair' was irrelevant. Feelings shouldn't factor into these decisions, because that is exactly when bias 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 show up. Formula 1 is a team sport, and also a cut-throat industry in which difficult decisions have to be made. These decisions should be objective, bias-free, and rational. And that is exactly how James approached this.
Psychological safety doesn't mean there are no consequences. It does mean that you communicate difficult decisions in a way that inspires confidence and trust, not disillusionment and insecurity.
From what James is saying it seems to me like he clearly communicated to Logan how this decision was made (transparency), that it was in no way his fault, or indicative of his future at Williams (psychological safety), and that Logan is still very much in control of his own destiny (trust and autonomy). If he steps up, if he is able to challenge Alex, then there is every reason to believe Logan has a bright future ahead of him at the team.
Controversial as the decision may have been, James is showing all leadership behaviors that create a sustainable high performance culture. He also shows that psychological safety isn't about being nice, and that results very much 𝙙𝙤 matter.
By this point I would give my right arm for the chance to have a chat with James about this, as I think there is a lot we can learn from his perspective on leadership.
❓ What's your take on this decision?
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Project Manager at JVIC
2moCongratulations, Victor! I know you, Paulo and the whole team are always doing great safe work out there!