Psychological Safety: A Foundation for Growth
What I learned from Professor Amy Edmondson about creating safe spaces for courage and growth.
November seems to have flown by, Winter has arrived, with its bare trees and icy seas. I’ve been wondering how I’ll keep swimming through these colder months, and yet, I know I will. Just as I have for the last 4 years.
Swimming through winter feels like a small act of defiance and resilience, something that seems to make no sense when I’m always so sensible! It’s about finding a balance - between discomfort and courage, struggle and reward.
Just like swimming in cold water, creating a safety in teams and organisations requires persistence and intention. It’s not always comfortable, but it’s essential for growth, learning, and thriving - especially in challenging and complex times.
Psychological safety is more than a buzzword; it’s the foundation of thriving teams. As Professor Amy Edmondson, a pioneer in this field, explains: “It’s the belief that the work environment is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.” Whether in a small team or a global organisation, fostering this safety unlocks better communication, innovation, and learning. In the complex and changing nature of the world, psychological safety is essential, means we need to be intentional about cultivating this in they way we work together.
I recently had the opportunity to chat with Professor Amy Edmondson on my Space to Think podcast. Having followed and been influenced by Amy’s work (The Fearless Organisation and The Right Kind Of Wrong) for many years now it was a real ‘pinch me moment’ and a great honour to have the opportunity to talk with her. Inspired by the feedback from listeners, I wanted to share some key insights.
What is psychological safety?
Amy Edmondson defines psychological safety as "the belief that the work environment is safe for interpersonal risk-taking." It’s not about being ‘nice,’ but about fostering an atmosphere where people feel they can speak up without fear of judgement or retaliation.
Psychological safety is dynamic - different teams or even situations within the same organisation can feel more or less safe. When present, it unlocks better communication, engagement, and innovation. It helps us feel valued and engaged in our work and more able to take risks. These factors, in turn, contribute to stronger overall performance which of course can be measured in many different ways. As we’ll explore, it’s not a standalone solution it thrives in tandem with accountability and high standards.
The dynamic relationship between safety and standards
Psychological safety and accountability work hand-in-hand. Amy often illustrates this with the safety | standards matrix, which maps how teams operate across different zones:
Low Safety, Low Standards: The apathy zone.
Low Safety, High Standards: The anxiety zone - high expectations but no safety to try, fail, and learn.
High Safety, Low Standards: The comfort zone - safe, but stagnant.
High Safety, High Standards: The learning and high-performance zone.
For organisations aiming to thrive, creating that productive and motivating state of high safety and high standards is key. It’s about embracing candour - constructive disagreements and idea-sharing - which fuels growth. Or as Viviane Robinson encourages - 'productive problem talk' (Reduce Change to Increase Improvement).
Lessons from ‘Project Aristotle’
In 2012, Google carried out some research, now known as Project Aristotle to understand why some of their teams stumbled and others soared. The findings revealed five dynamics of effective teams, with psychological safety as the foundational piece. It was pivotal in enabling the other dynamics: reliability, structure and clarity, meaning, and impact.
In a world where uncertainty is the norm, psychological safety is not a luxury - it’s a necessity.
How safe is your team?
Take a moment to reflect on your own experience:
In the past week, when and where have you felt high psychological safety?
Which zone of the safety | standards matrix is your team operating in?
What behaviours or dynamics indicate high or low safety in your workplace?
Building psychological safety
Psychological safety is fragile - it needs continuous renewal. The good news is that every team member can play a part in nurturing it. Here are three things to think about:
Frame the work as being about learning and growing:
Position challenges as opportunities to grow. Emphasise experimentation over perfection. Phrases like, “What did we learn from this?” can normalise risk-taking.Invite participation:
Create space for diverse voices. Be curious and ask open-ended questions and then listen:“What are your concerns?”
“What’s getting in the way?”
“What might I be missing?”
“How can I help?”
Role-model vulnerability:
Leaders, especially, set the tone. Admitting mistakes and errors, asking for help, and acknowledging uncertainty builds trust. Reflections like, “I got that wrong, here’s what I will do differently next time” can inspire others to take interpersonal risks.
Final thought...
Psychological safety is not about avoiding conflict - it’s about fostering the kind of constructive dialogue that fuels improvement. There will be many opportunities in a day for you to build or contribute to safety in your team, ask yourself:
How can I frame the work as learning?
What question can I ask to create space for others to contribute?
How can I role-model the behaviour I want to see or experience?
The shift starts with us, all of us. As Amy says, sometimes all it takes is a question - be curious, create space and listen.
Sometimes we need to take an interpersonal risk to reduce an interpersonal risk.
November Podcast Highlights:
This month, I had the pleasure of hosting another two inspiring conversations on the Space to Think podcast.
First, as you know, I chatted with Professor Amy Edmondson about psychological safety and her latest book, The Right Kind of Wrong. If I’ve piqued your interest, then I think you’ll love the conversation.
Next up, I spoke with Dr Hayley Lewis about imposter feelings and much more. We covered a lot of ground, and it was one of those chats that could have gone on forever. I can’t wait for you to listen!
Psychological Safety and The Right Kind of Wrong: with Prof. Amy Edmondson
Unmasking Imposter Phenomenon with Dr Hayley Lewis
Guiding you through the wood, the trees and the spaces in between. Join me each month as I dive into a theme inspired by my work and the conversations I have.