The conversation you’re not having is the one running your company.

Every team has a “last 8%.”

You know what I’m talking about... the feedback we don’t give, the truth we dance around, the conversation we keep putting off.

HBR ran a piece earlier this month on exactly this. They call it the “Last 8%” — that gap between what we know we should say and what actually comes out of our mouths.

In my experience, that’s where trust either gets built or quietly falls apart.

I wrote about this in The Business Buffet:

“Psychological safety isn’t about comfort—it’s about growth. Teams that embrace it don’t just get along better—they innovate faster, solve problems smarter, and build resilience that lasts.”

The HBR article frames it as high courage plus high connection. I love that. I also just think of it as being human.

As I see it, the best teams don’t coast through the easy 92%. They lean into that uncomfortable 8% — together.

And after some intentional practice (and a few bumps), that 8% doesn’t feel so scary anymore.