What is Psychological Safety and How Do I Create It in My Team?
In today’s workplace, we need our teams to be innovative, adaptable, and willing to speak up when they spot a problem. But what often holds them back isn’t lack of skill, it’s fear. Fear of looking incompetent, fear of being punished for a mistake, or fear of disagreeing with the leader.
This is where psychological safety comes in. As a leadership coach, I’ve seen that this concept is the true foundation of high-performing, resilient teams. It’s not about being “nice” or lowering performance standards; it’s about maximising learning and innovation.
So, what exactly is psychological safety, and how do you build it on your team? Let’s break it down.
Defining Psychological Safety
Psychological safety is the shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.
In plain language, it means:
- You feel safe to ask a “stupid” question.
- You feel safe to admit a mistake.
- You feel safe to challenge the status quo or disagree with the boss.
When psychological safety is high, people focus their energy on improving their work. When it’s low, they focus their energy on protecting themselves, which leads to silenced voices, hidden mistakes, and slowed innovation.
As a leadership coach, I view psychological safety as the key ingredient in leadership development because it directly links to performance, learning, and team engagement.
Why It Matters to Your Bottom Line
Psychological safety isn’t just about morale; it’s a strategic necessity:
- Faster Innovation: When people aren’t afraid to share half-formed ideas or point out flaws in a plan, the team iterates and learns faster.
- Reduced Errors: Mistakes that are caught early are often due to a team member feeling safe enough to point them out immediately, rather than hiding them until they become a crisis.
- Higher Retention: Teams with high psychological safety experience lower employee turnover because people are happier, less stressed, and feel like they belong.
How to Build Psychological Safety in 3 Steps
Creating this environment is not a passive activity; it requires proactive, consistent leadership.
Step 1: Frame the Work as a Learning Problem
The first crucial step is to frame the work as a learning problem. As the leader, you set the tone by normalising imperfection. Acknowledge your own fallibility – admit mistakes or simply say, “I don’t know the answer, what do you think?” Modelling this vulnerability gives your team permission to do the same. Furthermore, explicitly emphasise shared risk by reminding the team, particularly during complex projects, that you need every perspective to flag potential problems for success.
Step 2: Respond with Curiosity, Not Blame
Secondly, you must respond with curiosity, not blame, as your initial reaction is the most critical intervention point. When a mistake surfaces, avoid the accusatory “why” question. Instead, lead with genuine curiosity by asking, “What was your thinking process behind that decision?” or “What did we learn from this setback?” This allows you to immediately focus on the system, not the person, by asking what we can change in the process to prevent the error from recurring, showing you value problem-solving over punishment.
Step 3: Encourage Voice and Dialogue
Finally, you must actively encourage voice and dialogue to ensure all team members feel safe contributing. Instead of asking for simple agreement (“Does everyone agree?”), ask probing questions like, “What’s one reason this plan might fail?” to solicit dissent. Leaders must also ensure equitable airtime by noticing quieter members and deliberately inviting their input. When a concern is raised, always close the loop: thank the person publicly and clearly communicate what happened next. This reinforces that speaking up leads to action, not retribution.
Final Thoughts: Lead with Intention
Psychological safety isn’t just about being kind (though kindness matters); it’s about being strategic. It’s what transforms a collection of talented individuals into a truly collaborative, high-performing team.
By leading with intention, modelling vulnerability, and responding to mistakes with curiosity, you can build the kind of high-trust environment where your team is free to focus all their energy on what matters: success and innovation.
If you’re ready to build a high-trust, high-performance team culture, contact me today to discuss a tailored coaching plan.
FAQs
1. Is “Psychological Safety” just about being nice, or does it lower performance standards?
Psychological safety is not about being “nice” or lowering performance standards; it’s a strategic necessity for maximising learning and innovation. When safety is high, people are free from the fear of interpersonal risk, allowing them to focus their energy entirely on improving the work, pointing out flaws, and iterating faster. This directly increases performance, reduces errors, and drives team success.
2. How should a leader respond when an employee admits a mistake or raises a potential problem?
A leader should always respond with curiosity, not blame. Your reaction is the most critical factor. Instead of asking the accusatory “Why did you do that?”, you should ask: “What was your thinking process behind that decision?” or “What can we change in our system to prevent this from happening again?” This immediately shifts the focus from individual failure to systemic problem-solving, reinforcing that the team values learning over punishment.
3. What can I do to ensure quieter team members feel safe enough to speak up?
You must actively encourage voice and dialogue to ensure equitable airtime. Instead of asking open questions like, “Does everyone agree?”, try asking probing questions like, “What’s one reason this plan might fail?” or specifically invite input from quieter members. Crucially, when someone does raise a concern, publicly close the loop by thanking them and communicating what action was taken, reinforcing that speaking up leads to action, not retribution.