Psychological safety: What it is, why you should care, and how to build it
Last week we talked about a few of the signs of a broken culture, including a lack of psychological safety. The study of psychological safety at work is relatively new, but a slew of studies in the past two decades have measured its effects on everything from productivity and innovation to ethical behavior. But what is it, why does it matter, and what can leaders do right now to start to build it in?
What it is
Simply put, psychological safety is the ability to be yourself at work. It’s the ability to feel comfortable speaking up when something is wrong, offering a different perspective or new idea, or asking questions without the fear of retribution, shame, or other negative consequences.
Dr. Amy Edmondson, a Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School who first coined the term more than 20 years ago, clarifies that psychological safety isn’t about being nice or avoiding conflict though. “What it’s about is candor,” said Edmonson in a 2019 interview with Harvard Business Review, “What it’s about is being direct, taking risks, being willing to say, ‘I screwed that up.’ Being willing to ask for help when you’re in over your head.”
Why it matters
Studies show that a psychological safety is crucial to innovation because it creates an environment where innovation’s key components--moderate risk-taking, sharing your ideas, and using creativity--are valued. Those on teams where psychological safety is present are also twice as likely to be rated as effective by a company’s top leaders.
This feeling of the importance of your ideas affects job satisfaction and retention as well. A 2019 report from Predictive Index found that those who agreed most strongly with 14 psychological safety statements like, “I can easily approach my manager and ask for help” were significantly less likely to report they would be looking for a job with another company within the next year.
When psychological safety isn’t present in your workplace, you may see the infamous “meeting after the meeting”, where your team members who were quiet in the meeting chatter amongst themselves about their ideas or concerns. It also may cause team members to try to cover up mistakes, projects to miss deadlines because of a lack of alignment, and the adoption of the boss’s bad idea.
Compare that to a team where employees feel comfortable experimenting, debating, and who approach a brainstorming session without the fear of judgment, and you can see just how important it is to productivity, job satisfaction, and organizational growth.
If you haven’t achieved it yet on your team, you aren’t alone. Psychological safety isn’t exactly common at work, either. “I think it’s unusual, which is what makes it potentially a competitive advantage,“ says Edmonson.
How to create it
Creating a psychologically safe work environment begins first and foremost with the leader. Here are four ways to begin creating it on your team.
Show vulnerability first
As the leader, you will set the tone for the rest of the team. Being the first to offer up an unusual idea, fess up a mistake, or admit confusion can go a long way toward creating a safe environment for sharing. These mistakes can be errors you made, wrong judgments, or even admitting fault for not creating a safe space in the past. Modeling vulnerability in this way helps to create trust with your team that it’s OK to be wrong and to learn from your mistakes.
Nip negativity in the bud
While debate is a healthy side effect of psychological safety, keep an eye on the tone of the conversation and moderate when necessary. Nothing kills productive conflict like letting judgment or sarcasm creep in, including the placement of blame when something goes wrong. When conversations head into negative territory, intervening to shift back into collaborative and solutions-focused territory will show your team that you have their back and that you believe making mistakes is human.
Be curious
Invite feedback from your team on the problems you’re trying to solve or initiatives you’re considering. You may even explicitly ask your team to poke holes in your ideas and offer praise and gratitude when they do. This will reinforce to your team that you value their input and that different perspectives expressed constructively can create a better end result.
Be present
Though it may seem obvious, being both available and showing an active interest in your team’s work is crucial. Setting aside time on your calendar for regular 1:1 meetings to address questions and ideas and attending those meetings undistracted by email or phone calls can show your team that you value their input.
Measure your results
Tracking your environment over time can give you insight into what’s working and what isn’t. Using simple survey tools and asking your team members to rate how much they agree or disagree with statements like, “if I make a mistake, there will be negative consequences from my organization for me” can give you a glimpse into areas that may need improvement.
Final thoughts
Creating psychological safety on your team is an essential part of organizational growth. While the journey can sometimes be an uncomfortable one, working to build it on your team now will lead to greater job satisfaction, higher engagement, and the sharing of more innovative ideas.
