Why psychological safety matters at work
Are members of your team often hesitant to offer honest feedback, bring up new ideas, or challenge the status quo? A lack of psychological safety could be holding them back.
The entire organisation suffers when team members feel afraid to speak up due to fear of embarrassment, rejection, or punishment. Without open and honest conversations, teams are limited in their growth, improvement, and innovation opportunities.
A study by Google found that psychological safety was the most important dynamic of effective teams.
Teams with higher psychological safety have:
🔄 Lower rates of turnover
💡 Higher rates of innovation
💰 Better financial results
In psychologically safe workplaces, team members are willing and able to be open and honest with one another, which builds trust and strengthens relationships in the process.
What you can do as an individual to help foster psychological safety in your workplace:
👂 Be a good listener: Actively listen to your colleagues’ concerns, ideas, and feedback without interrupting or offering immediate solutions
🤗 Show support: Acknowledge your colleagues’ contributions and provide encouragement
⚡️ Embrace productive conflict: Approach disagreements as opportunities for growth and collaboration
❤️ Practice compassion: Pay attention to how your colleagues are doing through a quick check-in or providing them with a listening ear
It’s equally important to build psychological safety at the organizational and leadership & managerial levels as well.
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