March 7, 2025 - Psychological Safety and High Performing Teams
PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY IS VITAL IN BECOMING A HIGH PERFORMING TEAM.
MARCH 7, 2025
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WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Psychological safety is the foundation of a successful team. It creates an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, asking questions, admitting mistakes, and challenging the status quo—without fear of embarrassment or punishment. This openness fosters innovation, collaboration, and continuous growth.
Why is Psychological Safety So Important?
✅ Encourages Open Communication – When people feel safe, they’re more likely to speak up, share feedback, and contribute valuable ideas.
✅ Fosters Innovation & Creativity – Teams that embrace diverse perspectives and encourage risk-taking are more likely to develop breakthrough solutions.
✅ Reduces Fear of Failure – A psychologically safe workplace allows employees to learn from mistakes instead of hiding them, fostering resilience and continuous improvement.
✅ Enhances Collaboration – Trust leads to stronger teamwork, where members support one another without fear of blame.
✅ Boosts Engagement & Job Satisfaction – Employees who feel heard and valued are more motivated, committed, and engaged in their work.
✅ Improves Performance & Productivity – High-performing teams thrive when they can focus on problem-solving instead of self-protection.
Backed by Research
Google’s two-year study on team effectiveness, known as Project Aristotle, revealed that the highest-performing teams all had one thing in common: psychological safety. The study analyzed over 30 statistical models and hundreds of variables, ultimately concluding that how a team works together matters more than who is on the team.
The Role of Leadership
Leaders play a crucial role in fostering psychological safety by modeling vulnerability, encouraging open dialogue, and responding constructively to mistakes. When employees feel safe to take risks and express themselves, teams unlock their full potential.
Want to build a stronger, more innovative team? Start by creating a culture of psychological safety.
Articles on Psychological Safety in Teams
The Manager’s Guide to Building Psychological Safety in Teams
Project Aristotle Psychological Safety
Follow these 4 steps to create psychological safety in your teams
BY Amy Edmondson and Kim Scott
It’s not necessarily about being comfortable all the time.
Psychological safety is necessary in any workplace. Without an environment where candor is welcome, it’s difficult for a team to perform at their best. Psychological safety isn’t about being comfortable all the time. It’s about embracing the discomfort. When leaders are confident enough to solicit and reward feedback, this encourages employees to say what they really think and to be willing to hear the opinions of others in return.
People feel psychologically safe when they know they can recover from their mistakes and help others do the same. There is nothing safe about wondering what other people really think or where you stand.
In recent years, we have encountered considerable confusion about Radical Candor and psychological safety. Some have expressed the belief that they’re at odds with each other. Some have confused Radical Candor with brutal honesty—expressing one’s thoughts with little caring about how they might be heard. However, Radical Candor is about caring personally and challenging directly. People have also confused psychological safety with an environment where no one hurts anyone’s feelings and everyone will agree with everything. But in fact, it’s about open dialogue.
How can leaders create psychological safety in their teams? These four steps will allow you to create an environment where people feel safe to tell you what they really think, rather than what they think you want to hear.
Solicit criticism
It’s a good idea to solicit feedback at the end of every one-on-one meeting with your direct reports…
Give praise
Soliciting feedback is only the first step. Giving praise is an integral part of rolling out Radical Candor in a way that will create psychological safety for your team…
Give criticism
Of course, you also need to let people know when they’re making a mistake so that they have an opportunity to fix it, improve, and grow in their careers…
Gauge your feedback
When giving praise or criticism in a way that fosters psychological safety, you need to gauge how it is landing…
Coaching works.
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Contact me
Phone: (778) 938-1003
Email: rob.murray@shaw.ca