Psychological Safety First: Building Trust Among Teams

How many times have you heard that there’s no room for emotions in the workplace, only clear, decisive action? While it used to be taboo to talk about feelings at work — and in many cases, it still is — experts believe that there is a lot to gain from expressing emotions. In fact, not talking about feelings (like doubts and worries) can be downright detrimental to a business.

When employees fear being put down or punished for speaking up, even the most naturally outspoken people hold back. That’s where psychological safety comes in.

What is psychological safety, and how does it help your team?

Psychological safety in the workplace refers to a shared feeling that it’s OK to be open and honest in a group setting. Amy Edmondson, a Harvard Business School professor who coined the term, describes a psychologically safe workplace culture as “one where people are not full of fear, and not trying to cover their tracks to avoid being embarrassed or pushed.” In other words, the act of speaking up and learning from mistakes is encouraged, even celebrated.

It’s important for leaders to realize, however, that what is psychological safety isn’t the result of being nice. Quite the opposite, actually. Edmondson says that it’s dependent on a certain level of healthy conflict in the workplace. “Psychological safety is about candor, about making it possible for productive disagreement and free exchange of ideas,” she writes in an article for Quartz. This matters especially for employees from underrepresented groups, for whom psychological safety enables authentic contribution and belonging.

It’s something Jake Herway, senior managing adviser at research firm Gallup, can attest to. Herway describes working with an organization that reached a standstill in the middle of an important transition. “It was clear to me that no one in the department felt safe defending or actively pursuing a new idea, an opinion, or a criticism,” he writes. “The environment wasn’t negative. . .but it was unproductive once real work began.”

Timothy Clark’s four stages of psychological safety — inclusion, learner, contributor, and challenger safety — offer a useful framework for assessing where your team is and what to build next.

When managers and employees inauthentically support each other’s ideas in the name of being polite, they miss out on an opportunity to communicate with and learn from each other. Overly kind statements (especially ones that are incorrect, vague, or directed at the wrong person) actually lead to what Kim Scott, author of Radical Candor, calls “ruinous empathy.” This type of behavior, one that values politeness over progress, may make employees feel good in the short term, but it doesn’t help anyone grow or improve.

Employees who feel engaged and empowered to take action, on the other hand, know that their voices are being heard and that their opinions are valued (and challenged) by the team, which can have a hugely positive impact on a team’s ability to innovate.

How to create psychological safety at work

Saying you encourage your teams to speak up and take risks is one thing, but actually how to create psychological safety is another. This is especially true when you consider how quickly psychological safety can be derailed. One impulsive retort can bring the entire team down.

Ultimately, the manager’s interactions with the group will determine whether team members feel safe airing opinions and concerns. Employees want to work with leaders who see themselves as part of the team and whom they trust to be transparent.

4 ways managers and team leaders can improve psychological safety

1. Admit you’re wrong. By demonstrating vulnerability and directness, you can show employees that it’s OK to make mistakes (and to acknowledge them with the wider team). In Edmondson’s opinion, it’s even effective for leaders to apologize for not facilitating trust and safety in the past.
2. Ask for the team’s input. By asking employees for their opinions in group settings, they will not only feel more involved and accountable but also empowered to innovate.
3. Respond positively to questions and doubts. Gallup found that only 30 percent of U.S. employees think their opinions matter at work. Managers should show appreciation when employees speak up about unrealistic timelines or ask for clarification on a project. Thank them for voicing their concerns, and then help them decide on the next steps.
4. Forgive employees’ mistakes. Focus on the positives: A mistake was caught, it can be fixed, and there’s something to learn from the experience. Above all, a psychologically safe environment protects employees from the fear of being wrong.

For Karlyn Borysenko, organizational psychologist and author of Zen Your Work: Create Your Ideal Work Experience Through Mindful Self-Mastery, it all comes down to letting yourself be vulnerable.

“The very best way to get started is by being the role model for your team in regard to what psychological safety looks like,” she writes in an article for Forbes. “And the truth is that if you don’t learn to do these things for yourself, no amount of team-building activities will help you get where you want to be.”

Try out these psychological safety exercises

Interested in fostering psychological safety at your workplace? These exercises may help open up your team and improve communication.

3 team-building activities to improve psychological safety

1. Play a game of “Just Like Me” to practice empathy.

This team-building activity requires that employees recite statements, followed by the phrase “just like me” (for example, “This person wants to feel respected, appreciated, and competent, just like me”). This allows employees to show support and empathy for one another, which are both needed to increase psychological safety at work.

1. Host an “anxiety party” to practice vulnerability.

Ask your employees to write down their biggest anxieties and have everyone rank their concerns in order from most to least worrisome. When that’s done, ask them to share the list with their teammates, who can provide feedback and perspective. This helps teams to practice honesty, encourages them to acknowledge their own insecurities, and even find alignment on how to move forward with projects or learn which ones need to be prioritized over others.

1. Make flashcards to practice speaking up.

Have employees write down their thoughts about the topic at hand on 3-by-5-inch cards, using big, bold pens so comments are brief, and then stick the cards to the wall. This gives everyone a chance to share their opinions and goals and sets the stage for coworkers to ask “clarifying, non-leading questions” for more insight.

Explore how Slack can enhance your team’s communication and support psychological safety and consider integrating psychological safety training to align with the Workplace Psychological Safety Act.

Psychological safety FAQs