Effective Psychological Safety

Yesterday was Halloween, and if you follow me on LinkedIn, you might have seen my post about psychological safety and Halloween costumes. So, what does Halloween have to do with psychological safety? Simple - it takes safety to dress up as your favorite character in front of your team. Keep reading to understand why psychological safety is crucial to building high-performing teams.

THE THEORY

Psychological safety is the foundation of successful teams. Harvard’s Amy Edmondson defines it as an environment where individuals feel comfortable taking interpersonal risks without fear of judgment. She describes psychologically safe spaces as those where team members can speak up, admit mistakes, and ask questions openly. These are essential to drive both personal and team growth. When psychological safety is in place, teams perform better, innovate more, and build resilience against setbacks.

There are four levels of Psychological Safety. (1) Included: where people feel they belong; (2) Learning: where they feel safe to ask questions; (3) Contributing: where they feel confident they can add value and make a difference; and (4) Challenging: where they feel comfortable speaking out, questioning the status quo. Climbing up these levels helps teams progress from basic trust to open innovation. It’s only by reaching these levels that a team unlocks its true collaborative potential.

Google studied what makes a team successful and found one key attribute. You probably guessed by now. Google's Project Aristotle  identified psychological safety as the top predictor of team success. Teams that feel safe to experiment and even fail tend to communicate better, adapt faster, and innovate more. In other words, when people feel safe, everyone benefits.

MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS

Psychological safety is often confused with trust, but it goes beyond that. In my opinion, trust is about confidence between individuals; psychological safety is the broader team culture, where everyone feels they can be authentic without fear, and contributions are valued.

Some of the best teams I’ve worked with celebrated Halloween together, often with costume contests. These traditions made us feel safe enough to put ourselves out there and build stronger bonds. [Side note: I usually dress up as a monster or superhero - I'm 6’5” (195 cm) tall, so that helps! This year, I was Steve Hyuga; if you know him, we’re now officially friends].

HOW TO PUT THIS INTO PRACTICE

Building psychological safety requires effort from both managers and employees. When both roles contribute, the team creates a safe space where everyone can voice ideas, share feedback, and learn from each other without fear. Here’s how each can play their part:

1. Lead with Vulnerability

   • Manager: Share your own mistakes openly, showing that it’s okay not to have all the answers.

   • Employee: Be honest about needing help or when you’ve made an error. This builds trust and signals openness.

2. Encourage Open Dialogue

   • Manager: Create regular spaces (like team meetings) where all ideas and questions are welcome. Make it clear that all input is valued.

   • Employee: Actively participate and contribute your perspectives. Support colleagues when they share theirs to reinforce open communication.

3. Promote Growth from Mistakes:

   • Manager: Frame mistakes as opportunities to learn, using team debriefs to reflect and grow rather than assigning blame.

   • Employee: Own your mistakes and share what you’ve learned. Embrace feedback as part of personal and team growth.

4. Respect and Value All Voices:

   • Manager: Use inclusive methods like round-robins or direct invitations to ensure everyone has a chance to speak.

   • Employee: Respect and listen to each colleague’s input, encouraging quieter team members to share their ideas.

5. Celebrate Wins and Milestones Together: 

   • Manager: Lead team celebrations for achievements (big or small) and recognize individual contributions.

   • Employee: Participate in celebrations, acknowledging both your accomplishments and those of your teammates.

If your team didn't celebrate Halloween, it's not too late - propose a Friendsgiving, or a strong end-of-year celebration. There's always time.

Safely,

Jorge Luis Pando