9 Psychological Safety

What is it and why is it important?

Psychological safety is a concept that is closely related to the discussion of trust. It was first introduced by Amy Edmonson, and can be defined as the “shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking” (Google re:Work, n.d, para. 2).

OPTIONAL VIEWING 

Watch this TedXTalk (11min) to learn more about Amy Edmonson’s discovery and research of psychological safety.

This concept has also been explored in various other contexts and studies. In a study from Google, psychological safety was deemed an essential part of what makes an effective team (Rozovsky, 2015). Read this article for more information on Google’s findings.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY – THE 4 LEVELS

Psychological safety can be broken down into four levels; ideally, each level would be fulfilled within a team.

Watch this short video for an overview of the 4 levels: 

Each of the following paragraphs explain in further detail.

(1) Inclusion Safety

This is when all group members feel safe to be themselves and are accepted for who they are” Center for Creative Leadership, n.d., para. 19). It can be thought of as the “bare minimum” of psychological safety. In a group project, this means that team members have a sense of belonging and a feeling of acceptance. Without this, some individuals may not be able to then complete their work effectively, learn in the group or help innovate. In a group where one member was ridiculed for one of their attributes, this level would not be achieved.

(2) Learner Safety

This is when everyone feels safe to engage in the learning process, for example to ask questions and make mistakes (Center for Creative Leadership, n.d.) If, when a mistake is made during a group meeting, there is a negative reaction that causes the individual to feel uncomfortable (or otherwise negatively) there may not be learner safety. Since the purpose of group projects during post-secondary studies is to learn, an environment that allows for learning is critical.

(3) Contributor Safety

Once an individual is included in a group, and knows their stuff, they can now contribute meaningfully to the group (Center for Creative Leadership, n.d.). This element is important in group projects in order for the team to meet it’s full potential. One huge benefit of being in a team is the different skills, knowledge and strengths each individual brings. If even one member doesn’t feel comfortable contributing in their role, some of these skills are not being utilized.

(4) Challenger Safety

This means group members are comfortable speaking up and challenging the status quo within a group (Center for Creative Leadership, n.d.). Think about why this is important in a group that is comprised of students with different skills, knowledge and strengths. A big benefit of this, is that your team members can help fill in the gaps in your work, challenge you to be better and overall achieve better work. This is important in the same way that constructive feedback is important. See the “Ability to Provide Feedback” chapter for more information on constructive feedback.

Overall, an environment that is psychologically safe is better for learning and performance.

ACTIVITY

REFERENCES

Center for Creative Leadership (n.d). What is Psychological Safety at Work? https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/what-is-psychological-safety-at-work/

Google. (n.d). Guide: Understand team effectiveness – Tool: Foster psychological safety. Re:Work. https://rework.withgoogle.com/guides/understanding-team-effectiveness/steps/foster-psychological-safety/#:~:text=Organizational%20behavioral%20scientist%20Amy%20Edmondson,team%20members%20may%20sound%20simple.

Rozovsky, J. (2015, November 17). The five keys to a successful Google team. Re:Work. https://rework.withgoogle.com/blog/five-keys-to-a-successful-google-team/