Psychological safety" was identified as the most important parameter for successful teamwork. It is considered the foundation for other important factors that influence team success. Psychological safety offers employees a safe framework in which to talk openly about mistakes within the team/organization and to learn from them for the future.
Definition of psychological safety
Psychological safety describes the atmosphere and feeling that prevails in a group and can be very helpful, especially in complex challenges. Amy Edmondson, who wrote an entire book on psychological safety in 2020, defines it "as a shared belief that one is in an environment that is conducive to taking interpersonal risks, such as asking for help, admitting a mistake, or criticizing a project. In psychologically safe environments, people are convinced that others will not react negatively to them if they make a mistake or ask for help. Instead, honesty is allowed and expected."
However, psychological safety is not a feel-good concept where people within the team pat each other on the back and are simply nice to each other. Nor does it mean that performance standards are lowered. The following illustration shows that "psychological safety" (PS) in conjunction with high standards is ideal for learning, developing and continuously improving one's own performance as well as team performance.
Findings from the Google project "Aristotle"
In 2012, Google launched a project codenamed "Aristotle". Hundreds of Google teams were examined for patterns that show why some teams fail while others achieve top performance. The following pyramid illustrates the findings and shows impressively that "psychological safety" dominates the other factors for successful teamwork.
Fig.: Google project "Aristotle"
Fig.: Google project "Aristotle"However, it is very complex to achieve a state of "psychological safety". In addition to personal disposition, the organizational expert William Kahn (1990) has identified four preconditions(antecedents) of psychological safety:
- Interpersonal relationships
- Group dynamics
- Organizational standards
- Guidance
The role of leadership
In a "safe" organization, managers are characterized, among other things, by taking a step back, admitting their own mistakes and ignorance and addressing problems openly. At the same time, they encourage employees to do the same. Do your managers have the right set of methods to create "psychological safety" in the team? Leadership feedback from ValueQuest supports managers in their personal development and significantly improves the quality of leadership.
Establish framework conditions for anxiety-free working
Successful organizations consistently use both 360-degree management feedback and employee surveys as a dialogue tool, which has a positive impact on employee engagement and company success. Find out more at www.valuequest.ch. We would also be happy to advise you personally on 044 786 32 52.
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Article published on January 25, 2022
About Heidi Blanken
Heidi Blanken is an expert and advisor at ValueQuest with a focus on evaluation and methodological consulting. She studied psychology with a focus on methodology as well as economics and labor law at the University of Zurich and graduated with a lic. phil. I degree.
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