Psychological safety amy edmondson
Building the right balance also means recognizing team efforts and holding individuals accountable with compassion. Addressing power dynamics head-on helps prevent silence and promotes learning.
Addressing Cultural and Generational Differences
Cultural and generational backgrounds shape how team members express dissent or challenge authority.
Psychological safety was essential, whether for hospital workers candidly reporting (and learning from) errors or for employees feeling comfortable setting work-life boundaries during lockdown.
When workers stayed silent due to feeling unsafe or undervalued, disaster struck: Consider the spectacular implosion of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration after it came to light that people were concealing the number of nursing home deaths to play down the pandemic’s toll.
The authors identify four research-backed steps that leaders can take to cultivate psychological safety among their employees.
Instead, leaders should focus on learning and solutions. For more detailed strategies, visit Team Psychological Safety Practices.
A table can clarify your findings:
| Assessment Tool | What It Measures | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Team Diagnostic Survey | Safety, learning, voice | Quarterly |
| Anonymous Pulse Survey | Trust, engagement, barriers | Monthly |
By starting with data, you set a baseline for amy edmondson psychological safety improvements.
Step 2: Model Vulnerability and Openness as a Leader
Leaders must set the tone.
Or does everyone have to be on the same page?
In his book ‘4 Stages of Psychological Safety’, organizational anthropologist Timothy R. Clark discusses four levels of psychological safety that cover similar questions for employees:
- Can I be my authentic self?
- Can I grow?
- Can I create value?
- Can I be candid about change?
How do I foster psychological safety for my employees?
There are several things that managers and companies generally can do to create a psychologically safe environment for their employees.
Let employees know that their opinion matters
When building psychological safety, one of the most important things companies can do is create an environment where employees feel valued.
This foundation enables organizations to thrive in the evolving workplace, where uncertainty is the only constant. Trust and distrust in organizations: Dilemmas and approaches, 12(2004), 239-272.
Ensure that all people feel ‘seen’
Edmondson didn’t always think about workplace culture: In the 1990s, she was initially concerned with work processes—but, as it turns out, successful work processes are driven by engaged workers.
Physical distance can erode spontaneous communication and trust, so organizations need intentional strategies.
- Schedule regular virtual check-ins.
- Use digital platforms for anonymous feedback.
- Establish clear communication norms.
A strong culture of psychological safety is essential for distributed teams to thrive, adapt, and feel included.
AI, Automation, and the Human Element
Technology is reshaping how teams operate.
They bring interpersonal risk. For leaders, this means rethinking how they foster amy edmondson psychological safety when teams are spread across locations. Amy Edmondson recommends leaders say, “I may miss something—please speak up if you see an issue.” This simple admission lowers barriers and encourages openness.
Medical teams exemplify this approach by openly discussing potential errors before patient care begins.
Her session, “Psychological Safety: The Essential Underpinning of Successful Transformation,” left a lasting impression and a renewed sense of urgency about the environments we create for our teams.
At its core, psychological safety is the belief that a team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking, that you can ask a question, admit a mistake, or challenge an idea without fear of embarrassment or retribution.
Invite team members to contribute ideas and solutions. While comfort suggests a lack of challenge, psychological safety enables the “healthy friction” necessary for growth. In town halls or meetings, use personal examples to illustrate lessons learned. And the very act of being productive—just doing the work together—becomes a feedback loop that can bond a team and help create the conditions for psychological safety.
Uncertainty and interdependence are attributes of most work today.
“Uncertainty and interdependence are attributes of most work today.
Rather, it’s about employees feeling free to discuss and challenge each other’s ideas in a way that is respectful.
Why is psychological safety important?
As mentioned, psychological safety is crucial for high-performance teams and organizations for several reasons.
Firstly, it ensures open and honest communication, which leads to better collaborations, innovations and a strong problem-solving capacity.
When an employee feels safe sharing his or her perspectives, that employee is more likely to challenge the status quo and experiment with new approaches to his or her work.
This ultimately leads to more creative outcomes and better results.
When team members share ideas or admit mistakes, leaders should respond with appreciation and curiosity, not defensiveness.
Punitive reactions drive silence and fear.