16 Feb Why psychological safety is the key to team success: a game – changing insight for leaders
Psychological safety, the belief that one can express oneself and take risks without the fear of being humiliated or punished, is a crucial factor in determining a team’s performance – and of supporting a culture of trust, learning, and innovation. Below we explore the characteristics of teams that display both high and low levels of psychological safety – along with some practical approaches to embed psychological safety into your teams.
High Psychological Safety
“In psychologically safe environments, people believe their voice matters and they share information. That creates a virtuous cycle that leads to better decisions and better outcomes.” – Amy Edmondson
Teams with high levels of psychological safety can be characterised by:
- Members feel comfortable expressing their opinions and ideas without fear of criticism or punishment.
- Team members actively listen and seek to understand each other’s perspectives.
- There is a willingness to take interpersonal risks, such as asking for help or admitting mistakes, without fear of retribution.
- Mistakes are viewed as opportunities for learning and improvement rather than as failures.
- Team members are supportive of each other and offer constructive feedback in a non-judgmental way.
- Differences in opinion are respected and can be openly discussed without causing conflict.
- Leaders encourage a culture of openness, transparency, and respect.
- Trust is high among team members, and conflicts are resolved quickly and respectfully.
- Psychological safety is prioritised over individual achievement or competition.
- The team is able to effectively collaborate and innovate because members are comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas.
In summary, teams with high psychological safety experience improved communication, increased creativity and innovation, better problem-solving, increased learning and development, and reduced stress and burnout. These benefits result from an environment where individuals feel safe to take risks, share ideas, and learn from mistakes without fear of negative consequences.
Low Psychological Safety
“Fear is the enemy of psychological safety, and psychological safety is the foundation of high performance.” – Amy Edmondson
Teams with low levels of psychological safety can be characterised by:
- Members are hesitant to speak up, share their opinions or ideas due to fear of criticism or punishment.
- Team members may engage in blaming, criticising, or dismissing each other’s perspectives.
- There is a lack of trust and a fear of negative consequences or repercussions for making mistakes or admitting vulnerabilities.
- Team members may avoid taking interpersonal risks, such as asking for help or admitting mistakes.
- Mistakes are viewed as failures rather than as opportunities for learning and improvement.
- Team members may engage in gossip, cliques, or other forms of exclusionary behaviour.
- Leaders may be authoritarian, disengaged, or promote a culture of fear and intimidation.
- Conflicts may go unresolved, leading to resentment and distrust among team members.
- Psychological safety is deprioritized in favour of individual achievement, competition, or other performance metrics.
- Team members may experience high levels of stress, anxiety, or burnout due to the lack of safety and support in the team environm
In summary, low psychological safety in teams can lead to fear of speaking up, reduced collaboration and innovation, lack of trust and accountability, and high levels of stress and burnout. Team members may be afraid to take risks, share ideas, or admit mistakes, which can lead to unresolved conflicts, negative attitudes, and poor performance. Overall, low psychological safety can be detrimental to both individual and team success.
How to Embed a Psychologically Safe Team Environment
Google’s Project Aristotle was a research study that aimed to identify the key factors that contribute to team effectiveness. One of the key findings was that high levels of psychological safety were critical to team success. Crucially, the project identified the key role that leaders and managers play in embedding psychological safety into teams – particularly around setting the tone for team culture and promoting the conditions that support high levels of psychological safety.
Through this project, Google created the following practical checklist of behaviours / actions that serve to foster psychological safety in teams. Backed by research, the guide provides practical advice for managers and team members to establish team cultures that encourage participation from all team members.
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