Psychological safety: definition and example
Psychological safety is a shared belief on a team that it is safe to take interpersonal risks: to ask a basic question, admit a mistake, or disagree with the boss without being punished or humiliated. It describes the team climate, not any one person's personality.
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The research
Amy Edmondson defined team psychological safety as a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking. In a study of work teams, it was linked to the team's learning behavior, which in turn was linked to team performance (Edmondson, 1999). The study shows links, not that safety alone makes a team perform.
What it looks like on a Tuesday
A junior analyst says in the standup, "I think I broke the import script last night. Can someone help me roll it back?" and the lead replies, "Thanks for flagging it fast. Let's fix it together after this." In a low-safety team, the same analyst quietly tries to fix it alone, and the problem surfaces a week later in front of a client.
How to tell if your team has it
Ask yourself: When did someone last admit a mistake in a meeting, and what happened next? Do newer people ask questions in front of senior people? Does bad news reach leaders early or late? Patterns in these answers say more than any poster about open doors.
Common misunderstandings
Psychological safety is not niceness, comfort, or lowered standards. A safe team can be demanding; people just know that raising a problem will not cost them. It is also not something one person can declare: it is built by how leaders react to bad news, repeatedly.
Simple moves for leaders: ask, "What am I missing?" and thank the first person who answers with a problem. Related: emotional contagion and active listening.
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Research notes
- Amy Edmondson (1999). Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350-383. Defined team psychological safety as a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking, and found in a study of work teams that it was linked to learning behavior, which in turn was linked to team performance. doi.org/10.2307/2666999
Related
- No. 01EQ glossaryThe words behind emotional intelligence, defined.
- No. 02Emotional contagionEmotional contagion is the tendency to catch other people's emotions, often without noticing, by automatically mirroring their faces, voices, and posture.
- No. 03ValidationEmotional validation is communicating that another person's feelings are understandable given their situation, without necessarily agreeing with their conclusions or actions.
- No. 04Active listeningActive listening is a way of listening that shows you understood: you reflect back what you heard, ask questions that invite more, and hold off on advice.
- No. 05Emotional Intelligence at WorkEmotional intelligence is modestly related to job performance, most clearly in jobs where handling emotions is part of the work, such as service and care roles. These guides cover emotional labor, leadership, feedback and communication under pressure, using the research on each and noting where it is weaker than popular claims. EQTiger scores are for personal reflection and should never be used for hiring or promotion.
- No. 06Emotional Intelligence Test: Free EQ AssessmentExplore your emotional choices with a free 36-item assessment for adults. Get a profile summary and strongest area, then choose whether to unlock the full report.
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