Early in my career, I thought keeping things “fun” meant letting every joke slide. I wanted to be liked. I avoided awkward moments, even when sarcasm went too far.
But it’s not my job to be everyone’s friend.
My job is to protect the team’s ability to do great work, together.
That means you set the tone. Real psychological safety isn’t about never upsetting anyone. It’s about making sure everyone feels respected, every day.
Sarcastic comments, even if “just a joke”, can shut people down. Maybe not the loudest in the room, but someone goes quiet, stops sharing, stops caring. That’s a cost you can’t see right away.
You don’t need to kill the vibe to address it. You can say:
- Let’s keep it direct.
- Not everyone finds that funny—let’s move on.
Keep it short. Don’t attack the person. Call out the pattern, not the individual. Set the boundary, then get back to work.
When you draw the line, you make the team safer. That’s not policing. That’s leadership. The real fun starts when everyone trusts the room.