‘Culture Kills…’ Literally

[Not a real image of the OceanGate disaster.]

The phrase “Culture Kills,” was the blunt comment one of the former employees of OceanGate made when describing what led to the infamous implosion of a submersible on its way to explore the Titanic in 2023.

Netflix’s new documentary about the event, Titan: The OceanGate Disaster, reveals the preventable tragedy years in the making.

Titan premiered on June 11. It documents how OceanGate CEO, Stockton Rush, forced forward a fatally flawed design. Rush, who also died in the last trip of the carbon fiber submersible, ignored the protests and desperate pleading of many employees regarding safety measures. The arrogance and inability to listen ultimately led to the death of five people on this voyage.

The documentary captures what happens when psychological safety disappears from a company culture and people quit speaking up. Sometimes, like in this case, it causes death. Hence the accuracy underlying the phrase, “Culture Kills.”

The high profile stories related to a deterioration of psychological safety resulting in ultimate calamity include Theranos, Boeing (737 Max), The Challenger disaster, and more. There are many other examples resulting in mostly economic downfall rather than loss of life, including We Work, Enron, Volkswagen, etc.

What we need to remind ourselves is what psychological safety guru Amy Edmondson’s research confirms: A silent organization is dangerous.

While stories like Titan receive massive attention, what about the lower profile situations where the loss of psychological safety is less dramatic but locally devastating? The nurse, afraid to point out a doctor’s mistake, a front line worker fearful about raising a safety hazard, a police officer noticing inappropriate behavior in another cop, a teacher not reporting a principal abusing a student, an accountant noticing questionable transactions, you get the drill.

Watch the documentary and you get a first hand look at how corrosive and insidious the loss of psychological safety is. When we’re afraid to speak up, bad things happen. When those in positions of power stop listening because they’re sure of being right, it will eventually lead to big and likely painful mistakes. Hopefully no one is killed in the process.

Invest in the conditions necessary to promote psychological safety. It is THE path to excellence and maximizing the contribution of all involved. Remember that people are the source. If people stop speaking up, you risk missing out on that insight that makes a difference.

So while at its worst, “Culture Kills,” at its best, culture breathes life. Which one do you want to be part of?

Think Big, Start Small, Act Now,

- Lorne

One Millennial View: I think we’re finding that people who insist on surrounding themselves with “yes” men and women are less and less respected or inspirational. Thanks to the hyperbolic lens on everything, it’s just so obvious, and retrospectively pathetic. We like successful people who can admit failures and then make the decisions to adapt in a better way. We celebrate transparency and the security to embrace flaws without euphemisms in efforts to steadfast improvement. As mentioned in a recent Culture Talks podcast, everyone knows you’re not perfect, cause they’re not either - And if you’re in a position where decisions could be life or death, putting on airs is especially far from admired.

- Garrett

AI Response: The Netflix documentary Titan: The OceanGate Disaster starkly illustrates how toxic culture and a lack of psychological safety led to the catastrophic implosion of the Titan submersible in 2023, killing five people. OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush dismissed repeated safety warnings, exemplifying how arrogance and silence can be deadly—a pattern seen in disasters like Boeing’s 737 Max crashes (346 deaths) and the Challenger explosion (7 deaths). Research by Amy Edmondson shows that 85% of employees withhold concerns due to fear, with healthcare alone seeing over 250,000 annual U.S. deaths from preventable medical errors linked to silence. Psychological safety isn’t just ethical; it’s strategic—companies with high psychological safety see 76% higher employee engagement and 50% greater productivity (Google’s Project Aristotle). Whether in boardrooms or classrooms, fostering a culture where people speak up saves lives and drives excellence. The choice is clear: build a culture that breathes life, or risk one that kills.

‘Culture Kills…’ Literally

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