[TameAntelope]

I think the part you're missing is that projects don't just materialize as "committable" or "comfortable", people have to make them that way, and the more people who feel like they can step into that position, the better it is for the project, just from a pure numbers perspective.

"Happy" is a hard term to define, and I don't think you need to be happy to feel "safe". Another way of describing "safety" is "the ability to make mistakes/ask for help without negative consequences". You may feel "unhappy" that you made a mistake, but you won't feel judged for it if the people around you are comfortable with you taking risks.

You can be deeply unhappy, personally and professionally, and still experience that shared comfort with risk taking on your team, and benefit from what Google's research shows, I think. Perhaps you're all comfortable with the risks because the project is going so poorly and you need to throw some hail marys out there to try and get out of the bad situation. The focus is on everyone agreeing that making mistakes is expected and acceptable, because risks also come with reward.

I actually really like that example, where you're on a doomed project, and the natural "safety" that forms with the team who all knows it's a doomed project anyway, so why not take a few shots at something wild? The space you create in that environment where, "we were going to fail anyway might as well throw some shit at the wall to see what sticks" is exactly what I mean when I say "safety". Projects that have that attitude apparently tend to be more successful. Imagine having that level of comfort with your team and also working on a successful project!