Australian Mining and Resources Company
Rebuilding Trust from the Top
From dysfunction to high performance through psychological safety
Humanology Group supported an executive leadership team of 15 facing fragmentation, governance risk, and significant internal conflict through a 12-month psychological safety transformation. A confronting assessment revealed behaviours such as gossip, triangulation, exclusion, and passive resistance had eroded cohesion, creating an environment described as "uncomfortable, cautious, and emotionally draining." The inability to have courageous conversations had escalated from a cultural issue to governance, reputational, and strategic risk. Through structured intervention, the team rebuilt trust, reinforced accountability, and became one of the organisation's highest-performing leadership groups.
Challenge
Diagnostics revealed fragmentation, low trust, and inconsistent alignment compounded by emotional fatigue and avoided feedback. Behaviours including gossip, exclusion, and resistance were incompatible with executive accountability. The cultural dysfunction had become a governance and reputational risk requiring a structured, psychologically safe reset.
Solution
Humanology Group implemented a 12-month Executive Team Transformation Program:
Evidence-based diagnostics: Psychological Safety Assessment mapping trust, voice, and behavioural risk; baseline wellbeing and engagement measures
Intensive team workshops: Sessions on trust, conflict, accountability, and disciplined communication; DISC Advanced® profiling; co-created Psychological Safety Contract
Executive coaching: Individual and group coaching to shift mindsets and embed new habits
Quarterly pulse checks: Regular psychological safety assessments tracking progress and maintaining behavioural discipline
Result
The transformation delivered measurable and visible improvement:
40% improvement in Team Psychological Safety
59% uplift in wellbeing and mental health
14.6% increase in employee engagement (“strongly agree” responses)
Stronger decision-making, clearer communication, and improved governance
The once-fractured group is now regarded as one of the organisation’s highest-performing executive teams
Leaders reported that they could finally “disagree productively,” communicate openly, and operate as a unified team.
WHY IT WORKED
The program succeeded because it created both safety and stretch. Evidence-based diagnostics established a baseline and made progress measurable. Intensive workshops and DISC profiling built self-awareness and improved communication under pressure. The co-created Psychological Safety Contract gave the team a shared standard to hold each other accountable. Executive coaching deepened reflection, while quarterly pulse checks maintained discipline and tracked shifts over time. This structure enabled leaders to surface conflict constructively and rebuild respect.