Design for Candor Before You Ask for It
Create conditions that make honest skip-level input safer and more specific.
The move: lower the interpersonal risk before asking for truth. Psychological safety matters in skip-level meetings because the power gradient is visible. The employee is not only choosing whether to speak; they are choosing whether to take a risk with a senior leader, their manager, and their own reputation. Name your blind spot "I do not see the work at your altitude" is stronger than "be honest." It makes the meeting a leadership learning loop rather than a test of employee bravery. Ask for moments "Where did a decision wait?" produces better data than "How is the culture?" Moment-based questions…
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