One of the buzzwords I see everywhere in corporate lingo is psychological safety. Leaders are increasingly recognising the importance of creating environments where employees feel safe to express their ideas, take risks, and be themselves without fear of repercussion. However, here’s a myth that needs to be debunked: the notion that psychological safety is about removing all risk from the workplace. In reality, true psychological safety is fostered through connection, not risk elimination.

The Misconception: Risk-Free Environments

Many corporate leaders believe that to create a psychologically safe workplace, they must eliminate all forms of risk. The assumption is that by avoiding conflict, preventing mistakes, and minimising uncertainty, employees will feel safer and more comfortable. This approach, however, is fundamentally flawed. A risk-free environment can often lead to stagnation, complacency, and a lack of innovation. When employees are shielded from risk, they are ultimately also deprived of opportunities for growth and development.

The Reality: Embracing Constructive Risk

Psychological safety is not about creating a risk-free environment but rather about fostering a culture where constructive risk is encouraged and supported. It’s about ensuring that employees feel confident to speak up, share their ideas, and take calculated risks without fear of being punished or humiliated. This kind of environment stimulates creativity, drives innovation, and ultimately leads to a more dynamic and successful organisation.

The Role of Connection

The key to building psychological safety lies in cultivating strong connections among team members. When employees feel connected to each other and their leaders, they are more likely to trust that their contributions are valued and that their mistakes will be met with understanding rather than judgment. Here are a few strategies to focus on connection and build a psychologically safe environment:

1. Foster Open Communication

Encourage open and honest communication at all levels of the organisation. Leaders can model this behaviour by being transparent about their own mistakes and uncertainties. People can sense when you are speaking the truth so try to be as open and honest as possible.

Regularly solicit feedback and actively listen to employees’ concerns and suggestions.

2. Build Trust

Trust is the foundation of psychological safety. Build trust through consistent opportunities for authentic connection and by demonstrating integrity, reliability, and fairness. 

3. Promote Inclusivity

Create an environment where all voices are heard and valued. Encourage diverse perspectives by using inclusive conversation tools and practices (like Circle and facilitated dialogue). Inclusivity strengthens the sense of community and belonging within the organisation.

4. Check-in, regularly

Have regular, human check-ins where team members share about what is alive for them inside and outside of work. This creates connection, care and trust. You can make this part of the weekly team meeting.

5. Encourage Community and Collaboration

Collective experiences enhance connection and foster a sense of community. Promote teamwork and create opportunities for employees to work together on projects. Pro-actively encourage cross-functional collaboration by organising check-ins and facilitated conversation.

6. Celebrate Failure as a Learning Opportunity

Shift the perspective on failure from a negative outcome to a valuable learning experience. Model not having to be perfect by sharing authentically as a leader. Encourage employees to share their failures and the lessons learned. By normalising failure, you create a culture where taking risks is seen as a path to growth and innovation.

Conclusion

The biggest myth about psychological safety is that it’s about removing all risk. In reality, psychological safety thrives in environments where constructive risk-taking is supported and where connections between team members are strong. 

By focusing on building trust, promoting open communication, fostering inclusivity, encouraging collaboration and viewing failure as a learning opportunity, leaders can create a generative culture and a sense of community that drives their organisation forward. 

It’s not rocket safety! Want to chat about how we can create a safe and wonderful culture for your team? 

Email Nele on [email protected] to set up a discovery call.