Psychological safety. It’s a term that’s become a cornerstone of modern workplace discussions, but what does it truly mean? And more importantly, how can we move beyond the buzzword and create a culture where every team member feels safe enough to speak up, challenge the status quo, and bring their whole selves to work?
McKinsey describe psychological safety as, “feeling safe to take interpersonal risks, to speak up, to disagree openly, to surface concerns without fear of negative repercussions or pressure to sugarcoat bad news. Psychological safety nurtures an environment where people feel encouraged to share creative ideas without fear of personal judgment or stepping on toes.”
At its core, psychological safety is the belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes. It’s the foundation of a high-performing team, fostering innovation, collaboration, and a sense of belonging.
In fact, a research study by Center for Creative Leadership, covering nearly 300 leaders over 2.5 years, found that, “teams with high degrees of psychological safety reported higher levels of performance and lower levels of interpersonal conflict.” While Boston Consulting Group found that leaders who build psychological safety improved retention by x5 for people with disabilities and x6 for LGBTQ+ employees. Clearly then, this type of culture can have a profound impact on every level of an organisation.
So, how can you spot a psychologically safe workplace?
The Green Flags: A Thriving Culture
When psychological safety is present, it’s not a single act but a combination of behaviours and practices. Establishing a culture of psychological safety needs to be a conscious effort, which is supported by the organisation as a whole. As Lisa Sutherland notes, “A sense of safety and a willingness to speak up is not an individual trait, even though it is something felt and experienced at the individual level.”
Essentially, in order to establish a meaningful sense of psychological safety every team member has so be invested. However, this can be a challenge to implement, especially if previous experience has negatively impacted their willingness to engage and trust in the effectiveness of such initiatives.
Open and Vulnerable Leadership
CIPD identified how, “when people feel their managers treat them fairly, they tend to speak up with confidence, sharing suggestions, concerns or knowledge, whereas negative or problematic relationships with managers make this less likely.” This is a pretty logical expectation, as fairness is a fundamental part of building trust. Creating this type of reputation is a continuous process, with consistency being the key. Managers who clearly communicate their expectations, processes, outcomes etc, and then hold true to these are able to far more effectively build trust both within their team and the wider organisation. Effective leaders don’t just talk the talk; they walk the walk.
It is worth noting that reverse mentoring programmes can greatly contribute to developing this approach to leadership. The reversal of the traditional mentoring dynamic places in a position where they are actively encouraged and enabled to be open about their own challenges and limitations, with a more junior individual providing them insight and support. Not only does this provide a genuine opportunity for personal development but also is a clear demonstration of the leader’s authentic commitment to building trust.
Mistakes are Seen as Learning Opportunities
People Insight make the point that, “Empowering employees with a sense of autonomy over their work creates a culture of trust. When individuals have control over their tasks and decisions, they are more likely to take ownership and responsibility.” As part of this, in a psychologically safe environment, failure isn’t a career-ending event.
NHS Employers advises managers to, “see mistakes as a learning opportunity, something to be openly shared and spoken about. Leaders should role model this by being open about their mistakes with their teams.” In terms of psychological safety, this creates a ripple effect by signalling to everyone that it’s okay to be imperfect. This again ties to open and vulnerable leadership, with managers being fundamental for demonstrating that they mean what they say and will treat everyone fairly.
When something goes wrong, the focus isn’t on who is to blame, but on what went wrong and how the team can learn and improve. After-action reviews are a common practice, where the goal is collective learning, not individual shaming. (See more about this in our article on Beating The Top 5 Blame Culture Traps).
Active and Inclusive Communication
Interestingly, Culture Amp were recently investigating why their research showed that there was an unexpected drop in psychological safety as workplace tenure increased. This was also despite that fact reported satisfaction with the frequency of connections between colleagues remained high. They posited that “high quantity doesn’t automatically mean high quality. For psychological safety, perhaps the same rule applies. Spending more time around people doesn’t mean you’ll feel a deeper connection. Frequent team meetings over time doesn’t automatically fuel open conversation.”
Clearly then, it is important for those points of contact to be or real value in order to combat this trend. In practice, this means that situations such as team meetings should not just be for a few dominant voices. Instead, everyone needs to be encouraged to contribute, with leaders actively draw out quieter team members.
The UK Government Employer Standards highlights, “acknowledging any challenging emotions, asking probing, open-ended questions to hear diverse opinions, and by responding with compassion to others. Encourage individuals and teams to view feedback as a way of strengthening ideas and processes, rather than criticism.” This creates a richer exchange of ideas and reduces the risk of misunderstandings.
As a result, the quality of interactions between colleagues increases, which in turn helps to improve the relationships being developed, and so encourages greater openness. Active and inclusive communication assures people that they will be heard when they wish to speak up- whether that is for a positive or negative situation- with the improved inter-team dynamics boosting their confidence to take that step.
Peer mentoring programmes can be highly effective in building these skills, with the training involved serving as a fantastic foundation for meaningful communication. This includes elements such as active listening and constructive feedback, which are integral for improving interactions.
A Culture of Help-Seeking
Harvard Business School Online identify this as one of the four key elements for psychological safety at work. Their Dynamic Teaming course states at the top of their list, “Willingness to help: Employees believe asking for help is appropriate, and their colleagues are willing to provide it.”
Essentially, team members feel comfortable asking for help when they’re stuck or overwhelmed. This isn’t seen as a sign of weakness but as a sign of strength and a commitment to getting the job done right. It builds a sense of mutual support and shared responsibility.
This again links back to our previous points. By seeing mistakes as learning opportunities, people are less afraid to admit when they require help. Instilling active and inclusive communication means those who need help are able to be heard and effectively supported. With these values being consistently modelled by those in leadership roles, team members can confidently emulate that behaviour.
How to Improve Psychological Safety: A Call to Action
Creating a psychologically safe workplace isn’t an overnight fix; it’s a continuous journey. Here’s how you can make a start:
- Small First Steps: You don’t need a grand initiative to begin. Start by asking for feedback at the end of a meeting: “What’s one thing we could have done better in this meeting?” or “Did anyone have an idea they didn’t get a chance to share?” Acknowledge and appreciate every contribution.
- Model Vulnerability: Leaders, this starts with you. Share a mistake you made and what you learned from it. This simple act of vulnerability gives others permission to do the same.
- Foster a “Learning from Failure” Mindset: When a mistake happens, frame the conversation around “What can we learn?” rather than “Who is to blame?” This shifts the focus from punishment to progress.
- Create Safe Spaces for Feedback: Implement regular one-on-one check-ins where team members can provide anonymous feedback or discuss concerns in a confidential setting. This is a core component of effective mentoring and a powerful tool for building trust.
- Consider Mentor Training: Mentors are trained in the skills of active listening, empathetic communication, and providing constructive feedback – all of which are essential for creating a psychologically safe environment. A mentor can become a powerful advocate and safe harbour for their mentee, modelling the very behaviours that a company wants to see. (Explore our Workplace Mentor training.)
Conclusion
Psychological safety is a critical driver of business success. It’s the engine of innovation, the fuel for collaboration, and the glue that holds a high-performing team together. By actively working to improve your workplace culture, you can build a team that isn’t just productive, but also resilient, creative, and genuinely connected. And that’s a workplace where everyone can truly thrive.