When Teams Work

CHAPTER 4

BUILDING PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY

‘Psychological safety isn’t about being nice. It’s about giving candid feedback, openly admitting mistakes and learning from each other.’

Dr Amy Edmondson

INTRODUCTION

In this chapter we will examine the concept of psychological safety, look at why it is an important concept for effective teams and give you ideas on how to build effective psychological safety within your team. Research shows that a high level of psychological safety within an organisation leads to much more effective teamwork and better results. This is especially so when the team is facing highly complex issues where there is no certainty and where there is a high need for interdependence. A high level of psychological safety leads to ...