Considering psychological safety within teams

When I was asked this question the other day during a session about effective facilitation, it presented me with a challenge. I've regularly considered the counter question about how to help people feel psychologically safe, but never the alternative.

This got me revisiting research and materials around creating psychological safety in workplaces. There's lots of evidence highlighting how work environments and teams where people feel psychologically safe are healthier places and are likely to see better performance and retention.

I went right back to looking at the definition of psychological safety. According to Professor Amy Edmondson from Harvard University, team psychological safety is a shared belief held by members of a team that it's okay to take risks, to express their ideas and concerns, to speak up with questions, and to admit mistakes — all without fear of negative consequences. As Edmondson puts it, “it's felt permission for candour”.