{"id":3290,"date":"2020-03-21T10:41:27","date_gmt":"2020-03-21T14:41:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/?p=3290"},"modified":"2026-01-25T10:33:30","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T15:33:30","slug":"psychological-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog-alexis.monville.com\/en\/2020\/03\/21\/psychological-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Psychological Safety: Creating Teams Where People Can Speak Up"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Psychological safety is a term coined by Amy Edmondson<\/strong>, author of The Fearless Organization<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At its core, psychological safety describes an environment where people feel safe to speak up, ask for help, take risks, and admit mistakes without fear of being blamed or rejected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this episode of Le Podcast on Emerging Leadership<\/em>, I explore why psychological safety is such a foundational condition for effective teamwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psychological safety as a conversation starter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I first discussed psychological safety with my team when sharing Google\u2019s work on Project Aristotle<\/strong>, which identified psychological safety as the most important factor in high-performing teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What made it powerful was not the conclusion itself, but the conversations it enabled. Psychological safety gave us a shared language to talk about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • fear and risk<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • mistakes and learning<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • inclusion and respect<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Assessing psychological safety in a team<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    In the episode, I share a simple set of questions that can be used to assess psychological safety within a team. Each question can be answered on a scale from \u201cStrongly disagree\u201d<\/strong> to \u201cStrongly agree\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • When someone makes a mistake on my team, it is often held against them<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • In my team, it is easy to discuss difficult issues and problems<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • In my team, people are sometimes rejected for being different<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • It is completely safe to take a risk on my team<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • It is difficult to ask other members of my team for help<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Members of my team value and respect each other\u2019s contributions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      These questions are not a diagnostic tool. They are an invitation to reflect and to start meaningful conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Beyond safety as comfort<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Psychological safety is sometimes misunderstood as being \u201cnice\u201d or avoiding challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      In reality, it enables:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • honest feedback<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • learning from mistakes<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • healthy disagreement<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • shared responsibility<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Without psychological safety, teams tend to hide problems, avoid risks, and limit their contribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Further reading<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        In the episode, I also mention several books that explore related themes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • The Fearless Organization<\/em> by Amy Edmondson<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • The Coddling of the American Mind<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • In Great Company<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          Each of these books, in different ways, examines how environments shape behavior and learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          A final invitation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          Psychological safety is not something you install. It is something you practice<\/strong>, through everyday interactions and leadership choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          If this topic resonates with you, I would love to hear your feedback and experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n