Psychological Safety: teams that feel safe learn and perform better.

At The Carrot Collective, we consider Psychological Safety a foundational asset and a strategic priority and we are building our Culture around it.

Organizational behavioral scientist, Harvard Professor Amy Edmondson, first introduced the construct of “team psychological safety” and defined it as “a shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking.”

To measure a team’s level of psychological safety, Edmondson asked team members how strongly they agreed or disagreed with these statements:
- If you make a mistake on this team, it is often held against you.
- Members of this team are able to bring up problems and tough issues.
- People on this team sometimes reject others for being different.
- It is safe to take a risk on this team.
- It is difficult to ask other members of this team for help.
- No one on this team would deliberately act in a way that undermines my efforts.
- Working with members of this team, my unique skills and talents are valued and utilized.

In a team with high psychological safety, teammates feel confident that no one on the team will embarrass or punish anyone else for admitting a mistake, asking a question, or offering a new idea: Psychological Safety gives team members the freedom to have tough, honest conversations and deal with difficult situations head on.

And here are some reasons why teams that feel safe learn and perform better:

• Increased Trust: Psychological safety fosters an environment of trust among team members. When team members feel safe to share their thoughts and ideas without fear of judgment, they are more likely to trust each other and collaborate more effectively.

• Improved Communication: Psychological safety encourages open and honest communication among team members. When team members feel safe to express their thoughts and ideas, they are more likely to communicate more effectively and efficiently.

• Better Problem Solving: In a psychologically safe environment, team members are more likely to take risks and make mistakes without fear of being criticized or penalized. This can lead to better problem-solving and decision-making as team members are more willing to try new approaches and experiment with new ideas.

• Increased Learning: Psychological safety encourages a growth mindset, where team members are more willing to learn from mistakes and failures. When team members feel safe to take risks and make mistakes, they are more likely to learn from their experiences and improve their skills.

• Higher Performance: Psychological safety can lead to higher team performance as team members are more engaged, more committed, and more motivated to achieve their goals.

When team members feel safe to express themselves, take risks, and learn from their experiences, they are more likely to collaborate effectively, communicate more openly, solve problems more creatively, and achieve higher levels of performance.

Around Psychological Safety, a lot has been written.
We have highly appreciated this recent article from the Harvard Business Review, as it’s incredibly in tune with what we are working on at The Carrot Collective.

(Photo by Felicia Buitenwerf / Unsplash)