What is Psychological Safety?
“The sense of being able to show and employ one’s self without fearof negative consequences to self image, status or career”
– William A. Khan
It is not about wrapping people in bubble wrap or allowing them to avoid accountability; it requires responsibility at every level to actively contribute to and maintain an environment where everyone feels safe to speak up, learn, and grow.
Eliminating fear and taking accountability
LEARNING ZONE
We do care and we are daring
COMFORT ZONE
We don’t care and we aren’t sharing
APATHY ZONE
We don’t care and we aren’t daring
ANXIETY ZONE
We do care and we are scared
Why prioritise Psychological Safety?
Research, including insights from Project Aristotle at Google, has shown that psychological safety has a profound impact on team performance, innovation, and collaboration. By prioritising psychological safety, organisations have experienced enhanced team effectiveness, increased productivity, and higher employee engagement.
The benefits are evident
COLLABORATION AND LEARNING
When team members feel psychologically safe, they are more willing to share knowledge and collaborate, leading to higher team performance and adaptability.
INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY
When team members can express ideas without fear of judgment, they are more likely to contribute their unique perspectives and foster a culture of experimentation.
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
When individuals feel safe to take risks, ask questions, and seek feedback, they are more likely to embrace challenges and pursue opportunities for development and growth.
CRISIS PREVENTION
When employees feel safe to speak up, voice concerns, and share critical information without fear of negative consequences, potential issues can be identified and addressed.
How is Psychological Safety Enabled?
“We cannot change the human condition, but we can change the conditions under which people work.” – James Reason
Professor James Reason’s Swiss Cheese Model compares complex human systems to layers of Swiss cheese, where each layer is a defence against potential hazards.
But each layer has holes in the defence – things go wrong occasionally. Major problems occur when defence layers are all broken at the same time – when the holes are aligned.
Organisational layers are like layers of Swiss cheese and our management systems help plug the holes, changing the conditions and enabling defences against things going wrong.
Our logo is based on this model. The three outer rings represent the organisational layers surrounding the circle in the middle that represents the individual.
The principles of preventing accidents and enabling physical safety can be applied to eliminating fear and enabling psychological safety in organisations.
