Psychological safety is the shared belief within a team or organisation that it is safe to take interpersonal risks without fearing negative consequences. It creates an environment where people feel comfortable expressing their thoughts, ideas, and concerns without the fear of being criticised, ridiculed, or punished.

Psychological safety is essential for fostering trust, open communication, and a positive working atmosphere, ultimately leading to increased collaboration, innovation, and overall team performance.

Teams that exhibit high levels of psychological safety encourage their members to be honest, ask questions, and share feedback without the fear of judgement or retribution.

Teams with low psychological safety may discourage openness, suppress dissenting opinions, and exhibit an unwillingness to learn from mistakes.

Examples of safe behaviours in a psychologically safe environment include admitting mistakes, seeking help, voicing concerns, providing and receiving constructive feedback, and openly discussing challenges or issues. Unsafe behaviours might include concealing mistakes, avoiding feedback, withholding information, excluding team members, or engaging in passive-aggressive behaviours.

The benefits of psychological safety are significant for groups and organisations. A psychologically safe environment enables people to work together effectively, and promotes innovation and risk-taking. In addition, it leads to higher levels of employee engagement, job satisfaction, and retention.