Ask Before Telling

The lowest-friction way to introduce honest feedback into a silent team is to ask for it on yourself first. Drop "What's one thing I could do better?" into your next 1:1 and watch. The move signals three things at once: it's safe here, you go first, feedback is a gift not a weapon.

Responses that kill honesty: surprise, punishment, debate. Replace each with one line — "Thank you for telling me; what can I do to help?" — and the next bad-news message lands faster, because fear of reaction drops.