In “The Great Resignation”, a Fall 2021 international survey of nearly 3,500 employees by Workhuman, almost 40% of all workers stated that they will be looking for another job in the New Year.  One main factor these employees suggest is lacking in their current role is a construct called “psychological safety.”  It’s hard for some leaders to juxtapose the words “psychological” and “safety” together, with the word “psychological” feeling somewhat abstract and “safety” offering what seems to be a more concrete and measurable construct.  However, “psychological safety” is a key precursor to learning behaviors such as asking for help, admitting lack of understanding, seeking feedback and growing in professional role.  Anyone working with employees (or parenting children, for that matter) can learn how to build psychological safety in their work or home environment. 

So what exactly is this construct and how to we cultivate it? Psychological safety is defined by Harvard professor Amy Edmondson as “a shared belief that I can bring my full self to work, that I will not be humiliated or made to feel less about myself if I speak up with ideas, with questions, with concerns, and yes, even with mistakes.”  This type of safety enhances employee creativity, which means overall better problem solving skills emerge and thrive in this environment.  When employees feel like their contributions are fodder for shame or humiliation, they withhold parts of themselves that could provide much needed insight and growth to an organization. 

When psychological safety isn’t prioritized, work cultures become self-protective and blaming others becomes the most common reactive communication style. Psychologically safe environments create a culture where making mistakes is encouraged, even valued, because it allows for individual and organizational growth. 

In both families and work environments, psychological safety is enhanced through the development of a growth mindset. As opposed to a fixed mindset, a growth mindset highlights the ability to adapt and grow from both strengths and struggles.  This approach is in line with psychological flexibility, which is, not surprisingly, a strong indicator of mental health.  

So how do we create a psychologically safe workplace or home? The power is in the process, but these 4 guide rails can help us set a helpful path forward toward psychological safety. 

  1. Teach and prioritize self awareness, starting with leadership
  2. Remain open to feedback by asking open-ended questions
  3. Respond reflectively to show you understand 
  4. Encourage dissenting views

Some employers (and parents) are hesitant to implement this type of environment because it requires releasing a bit of control. It can feel a bit unsteady to just “allow” people to fail forward or disagree with you for the greater goal of mutual growth. 

More structured types need not worry too much, though, because one area of psychological safety is healthy boundaries.  When employees (and children) are given clear expectations and met with consistent responses, they are freed up to expend mental and emotional energy on other things, like growing in their professional development or focusing attention on strengthening pre-existing areas of weakness. The energy that was previously used to self-protect is now re-directed toward growth-inducing behaviors. 

It takes time and a mindset shift, but the vitality of our homes, offices, communities and even places of worship depend on us taking the risk to venture into the realm of psychological safety. Let’s imagine increased confidence to innovate, higher retention rates and overall freedom to grow as we cultivate environments where it’s safe to simply “bring your whole self to the table.”