What exactly is psychological safety? It’s a term that’s used a lot but is often misunderstood. In this piece, the author answers the following questions with input from Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson, who coined the phrase “team psychological safety”: 1) What is psychological safety? 2) Why is psychological safety important? 3) How has the idea evolved? 4) How do you know if your team has it? 5) How do you create psychological safety? 6) What are common misconceptions?

Especially in tumultuous times, managers and their teams increasingly depend on candor, speed, and creativity to make progress. Creating psychological safety — the confidence that candor and vulnerability are welcome — in a workplace is truly challenging and takes an unusual degree of commitment and skill. But it can be done. The authors present four essential elements for creating psychological safety based on successful implementation at a Swedish financial group. First, focus on performance. Second, train both individuals and teams. Third, incorporate visualization. Finally, normalize work-related vulnerability. These steps comprise a powerful approach to altering the climate and capabilities of any team.

More freedom leads to more candor.

The great big thing we're forgetting in the hubbub over psychological safety.

Rita McGrath

I often struggle to explain what it means to be part of a high-functioning software team. Sure, there are mountains of literature, and an entire genre of LinkedIn thought leadership that professes all kinds of guidelines and heuristics about what makes teams work, but in my experience, it’s hard to internalize these ideas and follow someone else’s model if you’ve never seen what good looks like.

Amy Edmondson

Paul Zak

Amy Edmondson

Ed Batista

Psychological safety exists when people can speak up, offer ideas, and ask questions without fear of being punished or embarrassed. Get the Evidence Summary

Amy Edmondson

This is a question many leaders struggle with — including myself. Do you share financials with the company? Or how about salary?

Amy Edmondson