Creating an environment that fosters effective learning can be challenging. One crucial element that often gets overlooked is the presence of and need for psychological safety. In this article, we'll recap our webinar with Kelli Frey, CPTD to learn the history and theory of psychological safety, how it translates to learning experiences, and how to measure and increase psychological safety in your organization. We'll cover a brief overview and then explain the three biggest takeaways from the webinar. 

Psychological safety is a shared belief among team members that it is safe to take interpersonal risks. This means feeling comfortable expressing ideas, asking questions, and admitting mistakes without fear of negative repercussions. When psychological safety is strong, individuals are more likely to engage in learning experiences, experiment with new ideas, and challenge the status quo, which most healthy organizations want from their employees.

In the webinar, Kelli Frey emphasized the importance of psychological safety in creating successful learning experiences, highlighting the role it plays in enabling participants to take interpersonal risks, which is crucial for effective learning. Kelli also discussed strategies that leaders and facilitators can use to build psychological safety, such as reducing unnecessary risk, recognizing power dynamics, and making group norms explicit.

Takeaway 1: Psychological safety is key to successful learning and development

Frey, an expert in facilitating learning experiences, stressed to attendees the importance of psychological safety in learning and development. She highlighted the role of this safety in enabling participants to take interpersonal risks during learning experiences, which she described as crucial for successful learning. Kelli explained that if there is no room for risk-taking and vulnerability, individuals may not fully engage in the learning experience or share their perspectives, hindering their growth and development.

It's the responsibility of leaders and facilitators to create a safe space for participants to feel comfortable taking risks and sharing their thoughts and ideas. Kelli referred to Google's Project Aristotle, which identified psychological safety as a key factor in successful team dynamics.

Frey recommends all leaders, facilitators, and trainers recognize publicly that making mistakes when learning is expected — but more on this later.

Takeaway 2: Actionable steps can be taken to build psychological safety

Leaders, trainers, and facilitators can take various actions to create an environment of psychological safety. Frey suggested reducing unnecessary risks, recognizing power dynamics, and making group norms explicit as effective strategies. Kelli emphasized that while she's seen them work globally, these strategies aren't one-size-fits-all and should be tailored to the specific culture and climate of a group or organization.

Frey further explained that recognizing power dynamics, acknowledging the implied or indirect power that exists within the group, and recognizing any team norms, can help give your employees or participants a clear understanding of group expectations.

Another actionable step is to actively model vulnerability, which Kelli explained, can help build trust and foster a sense of safety within a group. This can involve sharing personal experiences or admitting mistakes, which demonstrates to others that it's okay to do the same.

If you feel your team or facilitators model these behaviors already, the next step would be to consistently provide and seek feedback. This not only helps individuals feel heard and valued but allows for continuous improvement and growth within the group, too. Kelli emphasized the importance of recognizing and addressing any exclusionary behaviors or language that may create barriers to psychological safety, such as interrupting, talking over others, or using dismissive language, and always allowing for anonymized mediums for feedback as well.

Creating and maintaining psychological safety isn't a one-time task, but rather an ongoing process that requires continuous effort and attention. It's important for leaders and facilitators to consistently check in with group members and actively address any issues or concerns that may arise, as soon as possible.

Takeaway 3: Destigmatizing failure helps enhance a learning culture

Citing Amy Edmondson's book “The Fearless Organization,” Frey pointed out that psychological safety isn't just about physical safety, trust, and belonging but is about a shared belief within a group that it's safe for interpersonal risk-taking. Kelli stressed the crucial role of interpersonal risk in learning, explaining that there is an inherent risk of failure that's required for learning. Acknowledging failure, talking about it, and granting your team permission to fail is paramount to psychological safety. "Destigmatize failure culturally," Frey advised.

Regularly assess employee psychological safety

The benefits of psychological safety on both sides of the coin are clear. Not only will you improve employee engagement and innovation, but ultimately, your business' success. To stay on top of this, Kelli left us with some final advice:

"Regularly reassessing group dynamics and addressing any potential issues or conflicts can help maintain a culture of psychological safety," Kelli explained. "It's also important to acknowledge that building and maintaining psychological safety takes time and patience. It may not happen overnight, but with consistent effort and a willingness to listen and adapt, it can be achieved."

Psychological safety is crucial for creating an environment where employees or participants feel safe to take the necessary risks, share their wildest ideas, and be their authentic selves. By understanding psychological safety and taking actionable steps to foster it, leaders, trainers, and facilitators can create a culture of trust, open communication, and continuous growth within their teams and organizations.

Watch the full webinar to explore psychological safety in learning and development, including its history, measurement, and strategies to increase it.

Translating psychological safety for L&amp;D

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Explore the key concepts and the biggest takeaways from our webinar on translating psychological safety for learning and development with Kelli Frey, CPTD.

Translating psychological safety for learning and development

Let's face it — financial uncertainty, continual workforce reductions, and rapidly changing technology all mean that today's employees experience drastically less stability at work than previous generations did. As a result, workers are left feeling like they never really know what's around the corner, and this constant feeling of unease poses a significant threat to their psychological safety. 

A lack of psychological safety at work can wreak havoc on employee well-being and the success of an organization. When people feel threatened, their stress, anxiety, and dissatisfaction can be overwhelming. The ripple effects may result in decreased productivity, more frequent absences, and a struggle to adapt to change. 

Companies must create a psychologically safe environment if they wish to avoid these downfalls. In this article, we'll take a closer look at what psychological safety is, why it’s so important, and what you can do to build a foundation of psychological safety. 

Psychological safety is the collective understanding within a team that it's okay to speak candidly and take risks at work without worrying about backlash. In a psychologically safe space, employees can confidently share their thoughts, ask questions, bring up issues, and own their mistakes without the looming fear of judgment or retribution. This level of trust and respect creates a climate where employees can be their authentic selves, leading to better collaboration, trust, and a more engaged team. 

A psychologically safe space doesn't mean everyone has to agree with each other on every issue — that's not realistic. But it does mean differing viewpoints are respected and employees feel secure enough to challenge the norm.  

Cultivating psychological safety at work is a strategic investment in your workforce that benefits both organizations and their employees. By creating a setting where individuals feel comfortable challenging the status quo, businesses tap into their team's full potential. 

Have you ever had a brainstorming session where everyone’s ideas were downright boring? This may be a sign that team members feel uncomfortable bringing up outside-the-box ideas. Alternatively, when employees are in a space where they know they can get creative and freely share their ideas without repercussions, they start to problem-solve differently. With fewer boundaries in place, employees can think bigger, which ultimately results in more innovative solutions. 

Psychologically safe environments also improve performance and collaboration. If trust and respect are the norm, employees will be more likely to work together effectively, share information openly, and support each other’s efforts. This creates a sense of camaraderie and mutual accountability, which in turn leads to better team cohesion, productivity, and overall performance. 

Plus, psychological safety plays a significant role in boosting engagement and satisfaction. In fact, psychologically safe companies see 76% higher employee engagement. When employees feel secure and valued at work, they're more likely to take pride in their work and go the extra mile. This sense of security also translates to longevity, reducing the costs and disruptions of high turnover. 

Fostering psychological safety in the workplace is a team effort, one that leaders and employees must take on together. Here are some practical strategies to create a psychologically safe environment. 

Create open lines of communication: When everyone feels their voice is heard, they're more likely to speak up and share. Creating a space for open, honest dialogue between team members, managers, and leaders is key. Consider scheduling team meetings and one-on-one check-ins designated specifically for feedback at least once per quarter. It's also important to create anonymous feedback channels, like company or team surveys. However, if you’re only receiving anonymous feedback, it’s likely a sign that your team’s psychological safety is low, and prioritizing these efforts is crucial. 

Empower team members to try new things: A 2023 survey by Wiley found that only about half of individual contributors say they feel safe taking risks at work, which means nearly half of the workforce doesn’t feel this sense of safety. Managers should recognize and celebrate when team members try new things — even if they fail — and call out those efforts directly during one-on-one meetings and annual reviews. And when employees try something new and succeed, it’s a great opportunity for their managers to shout it from the rooftops and share their success more broadly across the business. 

Reframe mistakes as stepping stones to growth: Managers should encourage their teams to discuss their mistakes and the lessons they learned from those mistakes. They shouldn’t expect employees to automatically admit to their mistakes, though. Instead, it may be helpful to occasionally ask team members about a mistake they’ve made recently and what they’ve learned from it. Eventually, employees will recognize that it’s okay to say, "I messed up," and to ask for help when needed. 

Despite the many benefits of psychological safety, organizations may encounter various challenges when attempting to implement it.  

One common pitfall is overlooking the critical role of leadership in establishing and maintaining a psychologically safe environment. The reality is, if you want to show employees you care about their wellbeing, leadership has to set the tone for the rest of the business. Leaders must actively demonstrate a commitment to psychological safety by modeling transparent communication, valuing diverse perspectives, and celebrating risk-taking. Without strong leadership support, efforts to create a psychologically safe workplace may falter. 

Another common misstep is focusing solely on individual behavior without recognizing the influence of the larger systems and processes at play. While personal actions are vital, an environment that supports psychological safety must be the foundation. This means establishing clear-cut guidelines for respectful communication, avenues for employees to voice their concerns, and a system that values contributions over conformity. 

And then, there's the myth that psychological safety means letting go of accountability. That's simply not true! Yes, we want to create a space where sharing ideas and owning up to mistakes is encouraged, but that doesn't mean we're not responsible for our actions. In a truly psychologically safe environment, all rules and boundaries can’t be dropped, or else the organization will be back to square one — a chaotic workplace where employees don’t feel secure. 

It’s important to note that accountability must start with leadership. By admitting when they’ve made a mistake, leaders can model ownership of flaws and show their teams that everyone is human and it’s normal to mess up from time to time.   

Measuring your investment in psychological safety 

To measure the success of your investment in psychological safety, you’ll need to take a data-driven approach. This means regularly measuring key metrics and indicators. One of the most important ways to do this is through surveys and feedback, like we touched on earlier. These tools can help you understand how employees perceive psychological safety in the organization and whether they feel they can trust organizational leadership. By analyzing survey data and feedback, you can identify areas where you might need to improve and track progress over time. 

Tracking innovation outcomes is another way to measure the impact of psychological safety. While this will look different for every business, you might keep an eye on the number of patents being filed or successful product launches, or new mediums being used for creative projects. By connecting the dots between these innovation metrics and a culture of psychological safety, we can see the tangible results of an environment that encourages risk-taking and idea-sharing. 

Keeping an eye on how your teams are doing is, of course, the number one metric. Are they collaborating well? Solving problems effectively? Meeting deadlines? Are they speaking up when they have a problem, or throwing out even the most wild ideas for discussion? By looking at these performance and social indicators, we can tell if psychological safety is really boosting team spirit, communication, and productivity. 

It's easy to fall into the trap of expecting quick fixes and feeling disheartened if change isn't immediate, but building a culture of trust and security is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time, commitment, and a whole lot of patience from leaders and team members alike. We have to be in it for the long haul, continually measuring our success and making adjustments along the way. By continually trying new approaches and measuring each one’s success or failure, you can make informed decisions and implement targeted strategies to ensure your organization is psychologically safe. 

For more insights, subscribe to the Go1 newsletter to stay on top of all the latest L&D trends. Or, book a demo today to find out how Go1 can help with your team’s learning needs.

Learn what psychological safety is and how cultivating it in your team can unlock creativity, encourage risk-taking, and ignite breakthrough innovation.

Investing in psychological safety leads to creativity and innovation

Download the ebook

In collaboration with AP Psychology we have prepared the Humans at Work eBook. This guide will help you audit the needs of your workforce. Based on three psychological pillars, you'll be guided in putting these into practice with suggested learning courses.  

Humans at Work: Assess and improve the psychological safety of your workplace

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