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Embrace Psychological Safety
In her book The Fearless Organization
1
, Amy Edmondson defines psychological safety
as, "A belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas,
questions, concerns or mistakes, and that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking."
The growth of organizations and individuals is stunted when people don't feel
psychologically safe. If employees feel judged or experience negative consequences
for speaking up, they will stop "sticking their necks out" and collaboration, innovation
and performance will die on the vine.
In Valuing the Whole Person, Katherine Mendoza, Director of Environmental Health
and Safety at National Safety Council and Director of The Campbell Institute clarified,
"It (psychological safety) is not felt right away. It grows over time. There are stages that
groups move through to develop a feeling of psychological safety. When this happens,
people feel respected and heard."
She highlighted that it is not:
A shield for accountability
About building consensus
A personality factor
A synonym for trust
A psychologically safe workplace is also not free from conflict. However, conflict is
managed in a respectful, constructive manner. Check out 5 Myths About Psychological
Safety
2
for a breakdown of productive vs unproductive conflict.
Your Role in Psychological Safety
The pandemic spurred most of us to re-evaluate our priorities and take a hard look
at where we are choosing to invest ourselves. Using this lens, many employees are
scrutinizing their employment relationships and are making bold choices to leave
or "quietly quit
3
"—doing only what is required and not applying discretionary effort
to their work—when they don't feel valued or supported.
To reduce this risk and stem the tide of departures, we need to foster psychological
safety in our workplaces. And, in your role as manager, you wield a lot of influence
in making this happen.
However, before you can create this environment for your team, you must feel
psychologically safe yourself. You should expect the same level of safety, connection
and support from peers and senior leaders.
1 Edmondson, A., [2018] The Fearless Organization, John Wiley & Sons.
2 Pedraza, J., [2021] 5 Myths About Psychological Safety, Diversity Factor, retrieved from: https://www.diversityfactor.dk/new-blog/5-
myths-about-psychological-safety
3 Nazareth, L., [2022] Companies can't afford to ignore 'quiet quitting', Globe and Mail, retrieved from: https://www.theglobeandmail.
com/business/commentary/article-gen-z-quiet-quitting/
" A middle manager's
ability to provide
purpose, present
empathy, show
vulnerability,
resolve conflict, and
demonstrate humility
when they make
mistakes, is central
to building trusting
and productive
relationships with
employees."
— The Ultimate Guide
to Middle Management
Niagara Institute
