Why Comfort Isn’t the Goal at Work

By Storme | No-Fluff HR for Founders and Growing Teams

There’s a lot of talk about psychological safety in workplaces—and rightly so. But somewhere along the way, we’ve blurred the lines between being safe and being comfortable. And that confusion is holding teams back.

Let’s be clear: work isn’t therapy. It’s a performance space. A place where outcomes matter and clarity counts more than comfort.

Psychological safety doesn’t mean avoiding hard conversations. It means creating an environment where people can speak honestly, give feedback, challenge decisions, and still feel respected and supported. But that truth-telling? It’s not always comfortable—and it shouldn’t have to be.

What I’ve seen, time and again in my consulting and through programs like our Leadership & HR Essentials course (currently running at Stone & Chalk), is that teams don’t burn out necessarily because they’re pushed—they burn out because they’re left in the dark.

They’re worn down by vague direction, shifting expectations, and leaders who avoid giving honest feedback in the name of kindness. Clarity, not comfort, is what fuels healthy, high-performing teams.

And that’s what “no-fluff HR” is all about.

It’s not policies for the sake of paperwork. It’s not buzzwords and compliance theatre. It’s building systems that help real people do great work—safely, legally, and with purpose.

Great teams don’t thrive in comfort zones. They thrive in environments that offer clear standards, real support, and space to grow.