What is Psychological Safety

For increasingly complex organisational environments, innovation, collaboration, and adaptability have become essential drivers of growth. However, these qualities can only thrive in a workplace where employees feel safe to voice their ideas, share concerns, and take risks—without fear of blame or retribution. This is where psychological safety comes in.

A team with high psychological safety fosters an environment of trust, openness, and shared accountability, which research has shown to be key factors in unlocking both individual and organisational potential. According to Google’s Project Aristotle, psychological safety was the single most important element in high-performing teams, leading to better innovation, team effectiveness, and overall success.

Understanding Psychological Safety

Psychological safety is the belief that you won't be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes. It's about feeling comfortable taking risks without fear of negative consequences.

A team with high psychological safety might behave in the following ways:

• Open and honest communication: Team members freely share ideas, concerns, and feedback without fear of reprisal.
• Active listening: Everyone listens attentively to each other's perspectives and values different viewpoints.
• Support and encouragement: Team members offer support and encouragement when colleagues make mistakes or face challenges.
• Risk-taking: People feel comfortable trying new approaches and experimenting with different ideas.
• Constructive conflict: Disagreements are handled openly and respectfully, with a focus on finding solutions.
• Mutual respect: Team members treat each other with dignity and respect, valuing diversity and inclusion.
• Learning orientation: The team is focused on continuous improvement and learning from mistakes.

In essence, a team with high psychological safety feels like a safe space where everyone can be themselves, contribute fully, and grow together.

In contrast, a team with low psychological safety is often characterised by a climate of fear, mistrust, and stagnation. They often exhibit the following characteristics:

• Fear of speaking up: Team members are hesitant to share ideas or concerns due to fear of criticism, blame, or rejection.
• Blame culture: Mistakes are often met with blame and finger-pointing rather than learning opportunities.
• Lack of trust: Team members don't feel confident that their colleagues or leaders have their best interests at heart.
• Limited creativity: Innovation is stifled as people are afraid to take risks or challenge the status quo.
• High turnover: Employees are likely to leave due to feeling undervalued, unsupported, or disengaged.
• Inefficient decision-making: Poor decisions may be made due to a lack of diverse perspectives and open dialogue.

Psychological safety is essential for fostering a culture of innovation, learning, and growth. When employees feel safe to speak up, they are more likely to contribute their unique perspectives, challenge the status quo, and drive positive change. In fact, Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson’s research found that teams with high psychological safety are more likely to innovate, as people feel comfortable suggesting new ideas without fear of negative consequences.

Building Psychological Safety

Building psychological safety requires consistent effort and commitment from leaders at all levels. It’s not a one-time initiative but an ongoing process that starts with leaders modelling the behaviour they want to see. This is particularly important because psychological safety directly impacts how teams collaborate, innovate, and perform. In environments where employees don’t feel safe, there is a high risk of disengagement, poor decision-making, and even turnover.

According to Gallup, employees who feel their opinions are heard at work are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to perform their best, which underscores the critical role of psychological safety in fostering employee engagement and retention.

Here are key steps for building psychological safety in your team:

• Model vulnerability: Share your own mistakes and learnings. Example: A marketing team launches a new product that performs below expectations. Instead of assigning blame, the leader takes responsibility for underestimating the competition. By sharing their miscalculation and encouraging open discussions, the leader creates a safe space for the team to learn and improve together.
• Active listening: Show genuine interest in your team members’ perspectives. Example: When a team member expresses frustration about a project, the leader listens without interrupting, paraphrases their concerns, and asks open-ended questions. This demonstrates active listening and encourages open dialogue.
• Empathy: Understand and respond to your team members’ emotions. Example: If a team member is frustrated by office noise, the leader doesn’t dismiss the concern but validates their feelings and works with them to find a solution. Empathy helps build trust and respect within the team.
• Clear expectations: Define clear goals and expectations while providing autonomy. Example: A customer service team is tasked with improving satisfaction scores. The leader sets clear goals but gives the team autonomy to develop their own strategies, empowering them to take ownership of the process.
• Celebrate failures: Encourage learning from mistakes. Example: After a new CRM system faces issues post-launch, the leader holds a review meeting to discuss what went wrong and how to improve. Instead of blaming the team, the leader highlights the lessons learned, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
• Recognise and reward psychological safety behaviours: Publicly acknowledge team members who exemplify these behaviours. Example: A sales team adopts a new approach suggested by a team member, which leads to a sales increase. The manager publicly praises the team member, reinforcing the importance of innovation and risk-taking in a psychologically safe environment.

Psychological safety is not just a "nice to have"—it’s a fundamental component of building high-performing teams. Business leaders who prioritise psychological safety create environments where employees feel empowered to share their ideas, take risks, and contribute their best work. This ultimately leads to higher levels of engagement, creativity, and performance across the organisation.

Leaders who embrace psychological safety unlock the full potential of their teams, paving the way for sustainable success in today’s rapidly changing world.

If you're ready to foster a culture of psychological safety in your organisation, it starts with your leadership. At Neural Networks, we offer tailored programs that integrate emotional intelligence and leadership development, empowering teams to thrive in a safe, supportive environment. Reach out to us to learn how we can help you build psychological safety and drive real results in your business.