Inclusion Unlocked

11Psychological Safety

I would say that as leaders, we've grown to appreciate the privileged position we're in to unlock and to amplify the passion of our people. You can only do that through creating the conditions where everyone isn't just able to be themselves, but they feel they genuinely matter. They are valued, they belong.

Brett Terry, Chief People Officer, NSPCC

In the wake of Google's layoff of 12,000 employees in January of 2023, the remaining workers, suggesting that the layoffs were arbitrary and fearing for their jobs, questioned CEO Sundar Pichai, and asked whether the environment was psychologically safe. Ironically, it was the research efforts led by Google's People Analytics team years before that solidified the importance of psychological safety and drew leaders' focus. Through Project Aristotle, they studied what made teams work well at Google and found that the most important aspect of an effective team was psychological safety.¹ Unpacked, psychological safety is a shared belief that speaking up with ideas, perspectives, and concerns will not result in marginalization, rejection, embarrassment, punishment, or humiliation.² Years after, many organizations have followed Google's lead and emphasized the importance of psychological safety, but currently, some of Google's employees are questioning the company's commitment to it and some employees in London and Zurich have even walked out in protest.³

What Is Psychological Safety?

In 1999, Amy Edmondson, professor ...