Psychological Safety Is Everyone’s Job

Psychological safety means feeling safe to speak up at work without fear of judgement, blame, or punishment. It’s not about avoiding disagreements but creating an environment where ideas, concerns, or mistakes can be shared openly. Teams that achieve this are more collaborative, creative, and productive.

Key points:

• Definition: Confidence to take risks and voice concerns without fear.
• Benefits: Better teamwork, innovation, and job satisfaction.
• Challenges: Only 10% of employees feel comfortable speaking up; many workplaces lack this safety.
• Leadership’s Role: Leaders set the tone by showing vulnerability, listening, and encouraging feedback.
• Team Effort: Everyone contributes by respecting others, challenging harmful behaviours, and fostering trust.

Psychological safety isn’t just a leadership task. It’s a shared responsibility that helps organisations thrive.

What Is Psychological Safety?

Psychological Safety at Work: Definition and Benefits

Psychological safety isn't just a concept; it's a practical driver of success. It can be the difference between a team that flourishes through open dialogue and one that stays quiet, avoiding any risk of conflict.

What Psychological Safety Looks Like

Psychological safety is about creating an environment where people feel safe to be vulnerable without fearing punishment or embarrassment. It’s not about avoiding disagreements or wrapping everyone in cotton wool. Instead, it’s about fostering trust that encourages people to take interpersonal risks.

In real terms, this means team members feel free to ask questions without worrying they’ll look foolish, admit to mistakes without fear of blame, and challenge ideas - even those from senior colleagues - because they trust their input will be respected. This openness strengthens collaboration and fuels effective problem-solving.

The reality, however, is stark. Research shows fewer than one-third of employees believe their opinions matter, and just 10% feel very comfortable speaking up at work. These numbers highlight how uncommon true psychological safety is. Yet, when it exists, it allows individuals to show up as their full selves, which encourages fresh thinking and sparks innovation. This trust is the foundation for the improved team and organisational performance that psychological safety makes possible.

How It Affects Teams and Organisations

Psychological safety has a profound impact on team dynamics and outcomes. In 2015, Google’s Project Aristotle studied 180 teams and identified psychological safety as the most critical factor for team success. Teams with high levels of psychological safety worked better together, were more creative, and had higher job satisfaction.

The benefits extend beyond teamwork. Companies that prioritise both physical and psychological safety are:

✓ Twice as likely to exceed financial targets
✓ Eight times more likely to adapt successfully to change
✓ Twice as likely to retain employees

Closer to home, a 2022 UK government report revealed that psychological safety accounts for nearly 30% of the variation in employee wellbeing scores.

"When people believe they can speak up at work, the learning, innovation and performance of their organisations is greater. Teams and organisations in which people believe that their voices are welcome outperform their counterparts." – Dr Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School

Real-world examples underscore its importance. During Paul O’Neill’s leadership at Alcoa, a focus on safety and open communication transformed the company. Employees were encouraged to voice concerns, share ideas, and admit mistakes, leading to fewer accidents, higher productivity, better quality, and more innovation. Alcoa’s market value skyrocketed from £2.4 billion to over £21.6 billion.

When psychological safety is present, innovation thrives. Without it, organisations risk losing out on valuable ideas as employees remain silent, fearing embarrassment or backlash. The consequences of its absence go beyond missed opportunities. Studies consistently show that teams with high psychological safety experience better performance and fewer conflicts, while 93% of UK employees have left jobs due to toxic workplace environments. Moreover, investing in mental health, including psychological safety, delivers a return of £3.20 for every £1 spent.

Psychological safety is especially critical for diverse teams. It ensures all voices are heard and valued, turning diversity into a true advantage rather than a box-ticking exercise. Recognising these benefits is the first step towards creating workplaces where psychological safety can flourish.

The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety

Psychological safety, a cornerstone of effective teamwork, evolves through four distinct stages. Timothy R. Clark's framework outlines this progression, showing how teams move from simply feeling accepted to being confident enough to challenge established norms. Each stage builds on the previous one, fostering deeper trust and openness. Understanding these stages allows organisations to pinpoint where their teams stand and identify the next steps for growth. Below, we explore these stages in detail.

Stage 1: Inclusion Safety

Inclusion safety is about feeling accepted and valued within the team without fear of being excluded. It’s based on the belief that everyone deserves a sense of belonging simply by being human and non-threatening - value comes before worthiness.

This stage addresses the fundamental human need to belong. When employees feel included, they’re more likely to engage fully with their work and colleagues. However, research highlights that 57% of employees have witnessed discrimination or a lack of inclusivity at work, and 31% believe their organisation fails to treat everyone fairly.

To cultivate inclusion safety, leaders must take intentional steps. This includes promoting diversity and equity by ensuring representation across all levels, actively seeking input from every team member, and addressing bias through structured decision-making. These actions help create a culture where everyone feels respected and valued.

Stage 2: Learner Safety

Learner safety ensures team members feel comfortable asking questions, experimenting, and exchanging feedback without fearing negative consequences. Mistakes are reframed as opportunities for growth and development.

In a world where change is constant, the ability to learn is critical. Employees benefit from environments where they can acquire new skills and adapt to shifting demands. Leaders can foster learner safety by encouraging constructive feedback, viewing errors as learning moments, and sharing their own experiences of growth. Admitting they don’t have all the answers signals that learning is more important than maintaining a facade of perfection.

Stage 3: Contributor Safety

Contributor safety empowers individuals to apply their skills, share ideas, and make meaningful contributions. It’s about giving autonomy and recognising the value of each person’s input.

This stage drives innovation and problem-solving. Leaders can establish contributor safety by acknowledging and rewarding contributions, whether through verbal recognition, tangible rewards, or career development opportunities. Encouraging diverse perspectives further enhances this environment, ensuring that all voices are heard and valued.

Stage 4: Challenger Safety

Challenger safety is the stage where team members feel secure enough to question existing practices and propose improvements. For this to thrive, leaders must welcome respectful debate and view dissent as a chance to grow.

Creating challenger safety involves fostering an environment where constructive criticism is encouraged, and suggestions are taken seriously. By embracing challenges, evaluating employee ideas, and implementing meaningful changes, organisations can avoid groupthink and embed a culture of continuous improvement.

These four stages outline a journey of growth for teams, demonstrating how trust and openness deepen over time. They also highlight that creating and maintaining psychological safety is a shared responsibility, requiring commitment from both leaders and team members. Together, these efforts build stronger, more resilient teams.

Why Everyone Shares Responsibility for Psychological Safety

Creating psychological safety isn’t a responsibility that can rest solely on the shoulders of leaders. It’s a team effort, requiring contributions from everyone, whether you’re the CEO or the newest hire. Research shows that teams with high levels of psychological safety tend to perform better and experience fewer conflicts. However, a 2019 Gallup poll found that only 3 in 10 employees strongly agreed that their opinions are valued at work. This disconnect underscores the importance of shared accountability. Leaders can set the tone, but without collective buy-in, the benefits of psychological safety remain out of reach. It’s about connecting leadership vision with everyday team dynamics.

How Leaders Set the Tone

Leaders play a key role in laying the groundwork for psychological safety. Their behaviour sets the standard for the entire organisation. When leaders show vulnerability, admit their mistakes, and actively seek input from their teams, they send a clear message: it’s safe for others to do the same.

A powerful example of this comes from Alcoa under the leadership of Paul O’Neill. In 1987, O’Neill shifted the company’s focus to prioritise safety, declaring that any risk to employees was unacceptable. He encouraged employees to speak up about concerns, ideas, and errors related to safety and processes. This approach not only reduced workplace accidents but also led to improvements in productivity, quality, innovation, and employee satisfaction. By 1999, Alcoa’s market value had skyrocketed from £2.4 billion to over £21.6 billion.

Leaders also set the stage by creating systems that encourage open communication. This includes establishing feedback channels, responding constructively to challenges, and rewarding those who speak up rather than penalising them. When these behaviours are consistently modelled, they empower others to follow their lead.

What Team Members Can Do

Psychological safety isn’t just shaped by leaders - every team member has a role to play. Through their daily actions and interactions, team members can significantly influence the team’s atmosphere. It’s about fostering a positive, inclusive, and respectful environment where everyone feels valued.

Some of the simplest yet most impactful actions include showing respect in everyday interactions. Saying “sorry,” “thank you,” and asking for help are small gestures that can make a big difference. Actively participating in discussions, maintaining an open mindset, and offering support to colleagues all contribute to a culture of accountability that transcends formal hierarchies. Team members also have a responsibility to challenge behaviours or actions that feel out of place.

A helpful framework for this is the ABC model:

• Asking: What does the situation feel or sound like?
• Benchmarking: Where are we now in terms of team dynamics?
• Considering: How do differences and power dynamics come into play?

This model encourages individuals to assess situations thoughtfully and respond appropriately. Beyond this, team members can foster honest dialogue and constructive debate to address conflicts in a productive way. Building skills around giving and receiving feedback - and ensuring others have the space to voice concerns - further strengthens a culture that values collective progress over individual accolades.

British Workplace Culture and Psychological Safety

In the UK, psychological safety takes on some unique characteristics. British workplace culture, with its emphasis on politeness and indirect communication, offers both opportunities and challenges. On one hand, diplomatic language can create a comfortable environment for addressing sensitive issues. On the other, it can sometimes obscure important concerns or prevent the direct feedback needed for growth.

Recent findings highlight specific obstacles in UK workplaces. For example, a survey by Catalyst revealed that nearly half of female business leaders struggle to speak up in virtual meetings, and 1 in 5 reported feeling ignored or overlooked during video calls.

The challenge lies in balancing cultural strengths with areas for improvement. The British inclination towards fairness and consideration can be a powerful asset in fostering psychological safety. But to fully realise its potential, it must be paired with the courage to have honest, sometimes difficult, conversations. By combining these traits, teams can create environments where everyone feels heard and valued.

How to Build Psychological Safety in UK Workplaces

Creating psychological safety in the workplace takes deliberate effort and teamwork. Below are practical strategies to help foster an environment where employees feel comfortable speaking up, taking risks, and contributing their best.

Create Open Dialogue and Feedback

Open communication is the cornerstone of psychological safety. It’s about making space for people to share ideas, concerns, and feedback without fear of judgement. Leaders play a key role here - they need to set the tone by showing vulnerability and actively inviting input from their teams.

Establishing regular feedback loops is crucial. Frequent check-ins give teams the chance to address issues early and ensure everyone feels heard. Offering multiple ways to provide feedback - such as one-to-one meetings, group discussions, or anonymous surveys - encourages wider participation.

Structured dialogue sessions can also be a game-changer. Tools like ORSC's Designed Team Alliances help teams set clear expectations for communication, conflict resolution, and mutual support. These frameworks create a shared understanding of how to handle disagreements constructively.

Recognition is another powerful tool. When leaders acknowledge and value team members' contributions, it reinforces the idea that everyone’s input matters. This positive reinforcement encourages people to continue sharing their thoughts and concerns.

"I want to remind everyone that this is a space for open dialogue. All ideas are welcome, and there's no such thing as a bad suggestion."

Encouraging constructive challenge is equally important. Teams thrive when members feel safe to question decisions and propose alternatives. This not only improves outcomes but also strengthens team dynamics, making psychological safety a shared responsibility.

Show Vulnerability and Transparency

Being open and honest as a leader helps build trust, which is essential for psychological safety. Vulnerability doesn’t mean oversharing or appearing weak; it’s about being authentic. Research shows employees are 5.3 times more likely to trust their leader when vulnerability is part of their leadership style. This trust forms the foundation for a safe and supportive workplace.

Paul Turner, Head of Change at the Department for Business and Trade, highlights the value of admitting fallibility early on. He explains that being transparent helps to bring everyone along on the journey:

"There is a level of trust because we are all fallible. I do that from the get-go, and I try and get other people to do that from the get-go because it brings everybody along with you."

Admitting mistakes, asking for help, and owning uncertainty all contribute to a culture where learning from errors is normalised. Simple phrases like "I was wrong" or "I need your help with this" can set the tone for openness.

Transparency is especially important during uncertain times. Even when there’s little to report, consistent communication reassures employees. As Turner puts it:

"Even if there is nothing to communicate, you need to keep communicating. It's not weak to say, you don't know yet, but you're working on it."

Leaders should prioritise listening over having all the answers. This shift from needing to know everything to being curious and open invites meaningful contributions from others, making psychological safety a shared effort.

Welcome Different Perspectives

Actively seeking out diverse viewpoints is not just fair - it’s essential for innovation and better decision-making. In UK workplaces, this means going beyond polite agreement to genuinely embracing different opinions and experiences.

True inclusion requires more than good intentions. It involves creating systems that ensure all voices are heard - not just the loudest or most confident. Regular brainstorming sessions where everyone’s input is encouraged can help build this kind of inclusive culture.

Leaders must actively draw out feedback from every team member. Some people are more comfortable sharing their thoughts in writing, while others prefer group discussions or one-to-one conversations. Offering multiple channels for input ensures no one is left out.

When teams face complex challenges, diverse perspectives become especially valuable. They help identify blind spots and lead to more well-rounded solutions. However, this requires skilled facilitation to ensure disagreements are productive rather than divisive. By valuing varied experiences, teams create a culture where psychological safety is a collective responsibility.

Stop Microaggressions and Build Respect

Microaggressions - those subtle, often unintentional behaviours that undermine respect - can quickly erode psychological safety. This is particularly important in the UK, where four in ten employees report experiencing microaggressions related to their identity.

The statistics are stark: two in five black Britons experience workplace discrimination, and one in five LGBT employees face negative comments from colleagues. These experiences create an environment where people feel unable to bring their full selves to work.

Sharon Cooper, Senior Inclusion & Diversity Consultant at Inclusive Employers, explains the ripple effect:

"Colleagues who experience microaggressions won't perform to their full potential if they feel alienated and alone, which doesn't only affect them, their teams, but also the culture and performance of the organisation."

Addressing microaggressions requires more than policies - it demands visible leadership. Leaders need to model respectful behaviour and make it clear that microaggressions won’t be tolerated. Practical steps include confidential reporting systems, bystander intervention training, and anonymous employee surveys to understand workplace realities.

Managers play a key role in shaping workplace culture. Their responses to biased behaviour set the tone for what’s acceptable. Regularly reviewing and updating policies ensures they stay relevant and effective, particularly for employees from marginalised groups.

Use Stories to Build Trust and Connection

Storytelling can be a powerful way to normalise vulnerability and foster connection. When leaders share their own experiences - especially their challenges and failures - it humanises them and builds trust within their teams.

Tina Churcher, Chief Delivery Officer at DVSA Digital and Data, captures this sentiment:

"Storytelling humanises leadership. It allows us to connect, to show that we are all in this together."

Sharing stories of learning and growth creates a culture where taking risks and learning from mistakes is encouraged. For example, when leaders talk about their own missteps and the lessons they took away, it reassures others that failure is part of growth.

"Sharing your story, including your vulnerabilities, helps others feel less alone."

Stories work well in team meetings, training sessions, or even casual conversations. They take abstract concepts like psychological safety and make them tangible. Hearing how others have navigated setbacks inspires confidence and resilience in the team.

The most impactful stories are specific and genuine. Instead of polished success tales, leaders should share real situations that shaped their approach. This authenticity resonates more deeply and fosters a sense of shared experience. Through storytelling, psychological safety becomes a shared narrative that everyone feels part of.

Conclusion: Making Psychological Safety Everyone's Job

Creating psychological safety in the workplace isn't just a leadership responsibility; it's something everyone contributes to. While leaders undoubtedly set the tone, every single team member has a part to play in fostering an environment where people feel comfortable speaking up, taking risks, and showing up as their authentic selves.

The benefits are undeniable. For example, Nestlé's collaboration with Sideways 6 saw a 90% increase in employee engagement and led to 67 new funded projects. This kind of success underscores the power of a psychologically safe workplace.

On an individual level, building psychological safety starts with simple, intentional actions: listen actively, show vulnerability, and treat differences as strengths. Recognise that mistakes are a natural part of being human, and strive to communicate with clarity, kindness, and empathy in every interaction.

For teams and leaders, the focus should be on levelling power dynamics, establishing shared norms, and encouraging open dialogue. Reward those who speak up, frame work as a series of experiments, and act swiftly to address any behaviours that undermine safety. Regular retrospectives can help teams reflect and adjust, keeping psychological safety at the forefront of their efforts.

This journey requires a long-term commitment. It involves setting up structured feedback systems, training people in small but meaningful affirmations, and creating decision-making processes that ensure everyone has a voice. Celebrate achievements, learn from setbacks, and continuously check in to gauge how safe people feel to contribute.

Above all, remember that psychological safety isn’t a given - it’s something that must be earned and maintained through collective effort. When everyone, from senior executives to new hires, takes ownership of this shared responsibility, organisations unlock the full potential of their people. The result? A workplace where innovation flourishes, challenges are tackled more efficiently, and individuals feel empowered to bring their best selves to work every day.

Start today. Take small, consistent steps and embrace the fact that building psychological safety is a journey, not a destination.

FAQs

How can leaders promote psychological safety in the workplace?

Leaders play a crucial role in creating psychological safety within their teams. By cultivating an atmosphere of openness and trust, they signal to others that it’s okay to be authentic and vulnerable. This can be achieved through actions like being upfront about challenges, admitting their own mistakes, and sharing personal experiences. These behaviours set the stage for team members to feel comfortable expressing themselves without fear of criticism.

Another important aspect is actively listening to others, encouraging input from everyone, and providing feedback that’s both constructive and supportive. These practices help build a sense of belonging and mutual respect, ensuring that every voice is heard and valued. When leaders lead by example in this way, they establish a workplace culture where psychological safety can truly flourish.

How can team members help build a workplace culture of psychological safety?

Team members are essential in creating an atmosphere of psychological safety. Open and respectful communication is the foundation - sharing ideas and feedback without hesitation, truly listening to others, and approaching situations with empathy can transform team dynamics.

Practical steps to nurture this environment include promoting transparency, acknowledging the contributions of colleagues, and encouraging a growth mindset. These efforts foster a workplace where individuals feel appreciated and empowered to take risks, reinforcing a positive and collaborative culture.

Why is psychological safety crucial for diverse teams, and how can it be nurtured?

Psychological safety plays a crucial role in the success of diverse teams. It creates an atmosphere where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, asking questions, and taking risks without the fear of being judged. This openness is especially valuable for diverse groups, as their varied perspectives can spark creative solutions and lead to more effective decision-making when everyone feels respected and included.

Building psychological safety starts with trust, mutual respect, and fostering a real sense of belonging. Leaders have a big part to play here - they can encourage open conversations, genuinely listen to all viewpoints, promote constructive discussions, and normalise the idea that taking risks (even when they don’t pan out) is part of growth. When people feel secure enough to contribute freely, teams are better positioned to excel and reach their potential.