Guidance, Soft skills & personality

How to establish psychological safety in your company and what research & science say about it.

Contents

Psychological safety: the basics
Psychological safety from a scientific perspective
Tutorial: Psychological safety in corporate practice

1. psychological safety: the basics

Imagine you are a manager and stroll into the coffee kitchen. Your employees end their conversation as soon as they see you, then there is a brief silence and suddenly everyone is talking shop about the weather. Or: you overhear employees in the stairwell predicting that the current project will hit the wall due to mistakes, but nobody expresses these fears to you.

Such situations are not uncommon. They happen when employees feel insecure – when they are afraid that critical comments or mistakes could have negative consequences or that their opinion simply doesn’t count. The result: stagnation. A lack of exchange. And a team that falls far short of its potential.

This is where psychological safety comes into play – a concept that not only changes the dynamics of a team, but can also transform entire companies.

When psychological insecurity sets the tone

Ruth, 46, is a manager in a medium-sized company. Her everyday life? Well, let’s say it could be better:

In a meeting with her team, Ruth brings up a new approach to customer acquisition. “I think we could have more success if we focus more on smaller companies,” she suggests.

Silence. Some look at their fingernails with interest.

This is followed by a timid reply from Julia in Marketing: “Perhaps we should wait and see how the latest measures develop?” Ruth knows this pattern all too well: a cautious, non-committal remark that nips the topic in the bud. No one disagrees, no one takes up the idea. After the meeting, Ruth stops to talk to Julia. “Tell me, what did you really think of my suggestion?” Julia shrugs her shoulders. “Basically, it’s worth a try, but I thought it could go wrong and I didn’t want to be the one to go out on a limb.”

For Ruth, this is an eye-opener: her employees are holding back – not because they have no opinions, but because they fear negative reactions. Ruth suspects that this behavior not only blocks cooperation, but also slows down the company’s success in the long term.

We’ll show you how to create psychological safety!

1.1. Why psychological safety is so important

The current situation: companies are under pressure

We all notice it: The pressure on companies and employees is constantly increasing. There are plenty of reasons for this:

Our world is changing ever faster(VUCA), global challenges, social upheaval and a shortage of skilled workers are causing stress; sick days are increasing, stress, burnout and depression are rampant. Managers often feel overwhelmed; employees react irritably. A study of more than 22,347 employees from twelve countries by management consultants Willis Tower Watson confirms what we have all known for a long time: employees with high stress levels are less productive and have higher absenteeism rates than those who do not work under excessive pressure.

So how can you take the pressure off and establish a sense of security? And more than that: what can you do as a manager so that the people in your team can deal with the challenges of the VUCA world in the best possible way?

Resilience versus psychological safety

Resilience is what seems to be a way out in many places. People like to preach: “Become more resilient in order to cope with the demands of everyday life and achieve satisfaction!” And yes – resilience is a good basis for staying healthy, happy and productive in life. But when it comes to successfully leading a team as a leader, manager or team leader, it is not enough to advise employees to be resilient. Rather, you should offer a framework that makes it easy for employees to get involved and generate ideas on how they can deal with challenges together. And this is where the concept of psychological safety comes into play.

Psychological safety also forms the basis for thriving teamwork. While resilience is more of a strategy for dealing with pressure and challenges, psychological safety goes one step further: it ensures that this pressure does not arise in the first place. People don’t have to go on the defensive because they know that they can act without fear of negative consequences. When resilience and psychological safety come together, a working environment is created in which people not only deal with challenges – but actively tackle them. This is the key to a healthy, motivated and high-performing team.

What happens when there is a lack of psychological security?

As we have already seen from the examples, many companies suffer from an invisible culture of fear. This does not manifest itself in loud arguments, but in what does not happen: Ideas are not shared because no one dares to make an unusual suggestion. Problems are not addressed and mistakes are covered up instead of being used as a learning opportunity. Feedback does not take place and if it does, it is perceived as threatening criticism.

What happens when psychological safety is present?

Psychological safety changes that.

Teams communicate more openly and honestly.
Risks are borne jointly.
Mistakes lead to development.
Feedback is part of everyday life because nobody is afraid of criticism.
Innovation

becomes the norm.

Advantages for teams and organizations:

And, of course, this change in the way we work has an impact on the performance of employees and teams.

Improved team performance because many perspectives can be incorporated.
Increased ability to innovate because experimentation is allowed.
Stronger bond because everyone can get involved.
Reduced fluctuation because positive corporate culture is a tangible reality in everyday life and has a binding effect

Ruth has had enough. She knows that something has to change in her team. After an exchange with a manager friend, she hears about the concept of psychological safety for the first time. The term arouses her curiosity – and her hope. When she understands the concept better, she begins to realize what is missing in her team: trust.

Ruth wants to tackle it. But how? First, Ruth gets the theoretical basics:

Find out more in a free initial consultation!

1.2. What is psychological safety?

Definition of psychological safety

Psychological safety describes the state in a working environment in which employees feel safe to express opinions and ideas, admit mistakes and take risks – without fear of negative consequences; in other words, the basis for open, trusting and creative collaboration.

Description of psychological safety

Harvard professor Amy Edmondson, a pioneer in this field, describes psychological safety as “the conviction that you can take risks in a team without being punished or exposed.” She emphasizes that it is not about a conflict-free, cuddly atmosphere, but about the ability to deal with differences of opinion constructively and to see mistakes as learning opportunities. In practice, this means that you can show your vulnerability in full trust in the benevolent, constructive reactions of your employees, i.e. you can talk about failures, doubts and uncertainties. Always with the aim of finding the best solution together. We will discuss Professor Edmonson’s studies and other scientific findings in a moment.

The concept of psychological safety describes not only the characteristics of an open and supportive corporate culture, but also the positive feelings that people experience in such an environment.

The consequences of psychological safety

The consequences of this are favorable forms of appreciative communication and the openness to admit one’s own mistakes and weaknesses. There is often talk of a “good climate” or a “culture of trust” in which a lively exchange and a positive error culture are experienced. In practice, this means that you are allowed to make mistakes because everyone sees them as part of the learning and development process. You can bring in different perspectives and express your concerns freely. And if there are conflicts, you don’t sweep them under the carpet, but discuss the issue constructively and resolve the conflict. Always with the guiding principle of playing in the same team.

What does psychological safety mean to you?

If you’re wondering about the psychological safety of your team, here are a few questions you can ask yourself:

Do your employees dare to admit mistakes openly?
Are ideas discussed, even if they are unusual or unpopular?
Is there a constructive culture of debate – or does silence prevail?
Do you give regular feedback?
Are weak points and mistakes made by managers also addressed without this having critical consequences?

Psychological safety begins with answering these questions honestly – and taking the first steps to initiate change.

And Ruth? She has started to ask herself such questions. The answers are often uncomfortable – but that is precisely the first step towards better cooperation. Now that she is dealing with the topic, she takes a close look at what goes on in her company’s everyday life. And she is looking into the scientific background of psychological safety.

Video on psychological safety

Taking a short reading break?
And listen to what Christian has to say about psychological safety? 15:51 minutes.

2. psychological safety from a scientific perspective

Who coined the term “psychological safety”?

Amy Edmondson, a professor at Harvard Business School, conducted a groundbreaking study in 1999 that scientifically substantiated the concept of psychological safety for the first time.

Amy Edmondson’s study: A milestone for psychological safety in teams

Edmondson’s research aimed to find out why some teams are more successful than others. She found that teams with high psychological safety were 12% more likely to succeed. The reason – you guessed it: they are more willing to take risks, admit mistakes and seek help – key behaviors for growth and innovation.

The study shows that psychological safety:

Strengthening a culture of error: teams use mistakes as a learning opportunity instead of a reason to apportion blame.
Feedback processes improved: employees have the confidence to express and accept constructive criticism.
Increased learning intensity: Teams with psychological safety learn faster and therefore achieve better results.

Significance for modern organizations

Edmondson’s work has fundamentally changed the view of leadership. She emphasizes the crucial role of managers who create an atmosphere of trust through active coaching and support. Teams that feel secure are not only more efficient, but also more creative and resilient – qualities that are essential in today’s dynamic working environment.

Their findings make it clear that psychological safety is not a nice-to-have, but a key success factor for teams and companies alike.

Ruth is particularly impressed by the role of managers. She is pleased that there are things she can get going as a manager. When she talks to her manager friend again, she advises her to take a close look at her own leadership behavior:

How you as a manager set the framework for psychological safety

Before you ask yourself how your team can achieve psychological safety, it’s worth taking a look at yourself. Because as a manager, you have a huge influence on how safe your employees feel. You set the framework. You decide whether people have the courage to speak up or whether they prefer to remain silent.

A good reflection starts with the right questions:

What opportunities do I offer my team to really get involved?
How do I react when someone admits mistakes? Do I listen – or do I make judgments?
Are there invisible rules in my team that inhibit openness and honesty?
Which behaviors do I encourage – and which do I perhaps unconsciously prevent?
How do I deal with my own mistakes and shortcomings?

It is often not the big announcements, but the small, recurring signals that make the difference. An example: If, as a manager, you actively invite feedback, listen attentively and do not evaluate ideas directly, you give your team the feeling that their contributions are welcome.

Reflect on your own leadership behavior

Ruth is frustrated to realize that she has not always acted in an exemplary manner when it comes to psychological safety. The other day, Julia told her that she had done something differently than usual in order to be able to react more quickly. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. Ruth reacted quite tensely and just wanted to get it off her chest quickly. Ruth didn’t ask her what problem Julia wanted to solve and why she decided to act in this way. She senses that there is an unwritten rule in her team not to expose yourself, because if you fail, you don’t need to worry about ridicule and gossip. Neither she herself, nor other managers, nor the employees treat failures kindly.

Ruth wonders how she can specifically tackle something like this. How does psychological safety develop within a team?

The four levels of psychological safety according to Timothy R. Clark

Psychological safety does not happen overnight – Timothy R. Clark has described this impressively in his model of the four stages. While Amy Edmondson shows how important psychological safety is for the success of teams, Clark explains how it is created. Good news: You can actively control the development of psychological safety!

Psychological safety varies

In his book “Psychological Safety: The Four Stages to Inclusion and Innovation”, Timothy R. Clark describes how a feeling of psychological safety is not always equally strong, but depends on the current situation, the team dynamics and your own inner state. Sometimes people feel safe to speak openly, sometimes not. It is crucial that this safety can develop – if the framework is right.

This means that instead of expecting a great sense of security in the team all at once, it is about constant development in clear stages. These stages build on each other and ensure step by step that your team feels secure, gets involved, tries out new things and even questions the status quo.

Overview: the four levels of psychological safety

Inclusive safety – “I belong.”
Contribution security – “I can join in.”
Learning safety – “I can make mistakes and learn from them.”
Challenger security – “I am allowed to question things and initiate new things.”

Each of these stages needs your attention as a manager. You are the framing person who ensures that your team moves from being there to fully participating. How does that work? Let’s look at the steps in detail:

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The four levels of psychological safety

1. inclusion security: does everyone really belong, do I really belong?

The first level of psychological safety is inclusion safety. This is about ensuring that all team members feel part of the team – regardless of position, age, experience, background or personality. It sounds simple, but it is often more difficult than you think.

How you recognize that inclusion security is missing:

Some team members are conspicuously quiet in meetings.
It takes a long time for new colleagues to feel that they have arrived.
Small groups are formed in the team, which clarify their topics among themselves.

What you can do as a manager:

Actively welcome new team members and make sure they are allowed to join in quickly.
Start meetings with an open round: “How are you today?”
Take small signs of exclusion seriously – including hallway chatter.
Encourage quieter colleagues in particular to communicate.
Take an active interest in diversity & inclusion!

Inclusive safety in everyday life:

Ruth notices that after three weeks, her new colleague Lara still hasn’t asked a single question in the meetings. “I haven’t really found my feet yet,” says Lara when asked. Ruth then sets up weekly check-ins at which all team members briefly present their topics for the week. After two weeks, Lara comes up with the first idea.

2nd contribution security: Can I join in instead of running?

If you’re in, you want to be in. The second stage, contribution security, ensures that your team not only feels part of it, but can really help shape it. People don’t just want to be part of the whole – they want to feel like they are contributing something.

How you recognize that contribution security is missing:

Team members carry out tasks, but without commitment or initiative.
Creative contributions always come from the same people – others remain silent.
Tasks that produce visible results are consistently taken on by peers – otherwise they remain with the manager.
Decisions are accepted without anyone expressing an opinion.

What you can do as a manager:

Ask direct questions in meetings like: “What do you think about this, Anna?”
Create space for contributions, for example through a round of votes before decisions are made.
Praise posts visibly – even if they are not perfect.
Revise or noticeably change your posts if there is a good reason to do so.

Contribution security in everyday life:

Ruth is surprised that Julia, one of her most experienced employees, is keeping quiet about the current project. Ruth asks her about it. “I don’t want to get involved if it’s already been decided anyway.” Ruth then changes the structure of the meetings: suggestions are collected first, then discussed – and decisions are only made at the end. Nevertheless, as usual, the usual suspects are quite dominant and then the brainstorming comes to a standstill. Ruth first has to insist that more suggestions and ideas are put forward. This works and Julia also takes part and contributes important ideas.

3. learning safety: Can I make mistakes here?

Learning safety is the third stage – and one of the most challenging. This is about whether your team feels that it is possible to admit mistakes, ask questions and ask for help without losing face. Only if this is possible can your team develop further.

How you recognize that learning security is missing:

Errors are covered up or only reported when there is no other way.
Team members seem insecure when they ask questions.
There is a “Who’s to blame?” mentality when something goes wrong.

What you can do as a manager:

Admit your own mistakes and show what you have learned from them.
Create a culture of mistakes in which questions such as “What do we learn from this?” are normal.
Avoid assigning blame – focus on solutions, not problems.

Learning security in everyday life:

Sebastian makes a mistake with a customer order, which delays the delivery by a week. He tries to solve the problem in secret, which makes things even worse. Ruth realizes that the question of guilt is crushing him. So she introduces a new routine: once a month, the team openly discusses the mistake of the month – with a focus on the lessons learned. At the second meeting, Sebastian volunteers to talk about the order. The courage to come forward earns him respect. Others admit to similar mistakes. The mood is relaxed.

4. challenger security: Can I also be critical here?

The fourth level, challenger security, is the supreme discipline. It describes the state in which your team questions the status quo and makes bold suggestions to improve things. People who question the status quo are often met with resistance – which is why this level is so difficult to achieve.

How you recognize that challenger security is missing:

“We’ve always done it this way” is accepted as an argument.
Critical voices are quickly silenced – especially when the manager is in the room.
Innovation projects come to nothing because nobody dares to take the first step.

What you can do as a manager:

Encourage critical questions and ask the question yourself: “What if…?”
Give your team the explicit task of questioning things.
Reward courage, even if the suggestion is not implemented in the end.
Encourage someone to play the role of “Advocatus Diaboli” or do it yourself.

Challenger security in everyday life:

Ruth realizes that many of her decisions are rarely questioned. “Nobody disagrees with me, but that can hardly mean that I’m always right.” So she introduces the role of Challenger of the Week: one person per week has the task of questioning at least one existing way of working. The reaction is initially reserved, but after a few weeks, increasingly bold suggestions are made – and some of them are actually implemented.

And now it’s time for implementation!

The four levels of psychological safety in your company

And you? Which of the four stages has your team already reached – and which steps could you take next? Maybe it’s time to strengthen challenger security and signal to your team: “It’s okay to question – and that’s a good thing.”

Psychological safety and values in teams and organizations

Tools and meeting formats help us to slowly establish psychological security. But: in the background, at the meta-level, forces are controlling our actions that we may not always be aware of: Values.

Values are the invisible compass that guides behavior in your team. They determine what is accepted in a team and what is not. This is precisely where an important key to psychological safety lies: values such as trust, respect, openness and a sense of responsibility create the framework in which employees dare to share their opinions and ideas openly.

But be careful: it is not enough to hang these values on the wall as nice words. They have to be lived visibly – from the management level to the intern. If you preach trust as a manager but prefer to check and approve every suggestion yourself first, your team won’t fall for it. Authenticity is the be-all and end-all here.

Which values promote psychological safety?

Trust: No openness without trust. It shows when employees know that their mistakes will not put them out of business.
Respect: When opinions are heard and not devalued, there is room for honest discussion.
Openness: Openness means that uncomfortable truths can also be spoken – without fear of consequences.
Sense of responsibility: When employees feel responsible, they take the initiative instead of passively watching.

These values do not arise by themselves. They are shaped by role models in the company – i.e. the managers.

Values in everyday corporate life

“Openness and respect are important to us” is written on the slides of the onboarding presentation, but it seems a bit like advertising blah-blah. Ruth asks her team: “What behaviors actually show that we live respect? How can you tell that we want openness?”. Perplexed looks. She takes a different approach: “In an ideal company, how would we treat each other with respect? How would we show openness?” Slowly, a few ideas come together. “First listen and let people finish speaking,” is one of them. Ruth decides not only to discuss the values, but to anchor them in concrete rules of conduct.

Do you want to tackle a culture of psychological safety in your team or company together? We are happy to help 🙂

Get in touch

The values in your company

And you? Which values are currently being lived in your team – and which are just being preached? Maybe it’s time to talk to your team about it. If you need advice or action, here are two tips on your own behalf:

Advice: We have published the book Erfolgsfaktor Unternehmenskultur on the subject of values. There you will find lots of information on the topic of values and value change.

Fact: Would you like to get an overview of the values that prevail in your company? Then you can easily and conveniently try out our app – and find out which values motivate you first. And later you can use the app throughout your company.

And otherwise: just give us a call or send us an e-mail! >>

Want to learn more about corporate culture? Visit our store and get our book!

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Further studies on the relevance of psychological safety

The study by Baer and Frese: How psychological safety promotes innovation

In their publication Innovation is not enough (2003) and the accompanying study, Baer and Frese show that innovation and company performance cannot be directly controlled – but the conditions for this can. Two central factors play a key role here: psychological security and personal initiative.

The most important results:

Companies that promote psychological safety increase their returns in the long term.
Teams that show initiative and openly try out new things are more likely to achieve their corporate goals.

The core of the study: here too, when employees feel safe to make mistakes, they are more willing to break new ground. Innovation needs precisely this climate, in which risks are not a threat but an opportunity. Baer and Frese also show that psychological security is the basis for entrepreneurial success and not only pays off in the proverbial sense.

Project Aristotle: Why psychological safety is THE success factor

Google’s Project Aristotle is one of the best-known studies on team performance. The aim of the study was to find out why some teams work better together than others.

The realization:

Psychological safety was THE most important factor for team success – more important than intelligence, expertise or personal likability. The study emphasized that the ability to ask questions, admit mistakes and reveal weaknesses was crucial to the success of these teams.

Meta-analysis by M. Lance Frazier: How psychological safety makes teams more efficient

The meta-analysis by M. Lance Frazier et al. comes to similar conclusions. (2017). Here, too, it has been proven that teams with a high level of psychological safety not only work more efficiently, but are also more creative and innovative.

The results:

Team members are more confident to contribute new ideas and take risks – without fear of negative consequences. This strengthens collaboration, promotes knowledge sharing and increases employee satisfaction. In short: psychological safety makes teams braver, faster and smarter.

As you can see, the topic of psychological safety has been well researched and the study situation is quite clear.

3. psychological safety in practice:

3.1. What we can learn from Google

What has Google done?

Google has taken concrete measures to anchor psychological safety in the teams:

Retrospectives: Teams reflect together on what is going well and where things are going wrong – without apportioning blame.
Open communication forums: platforms where employees can give anonymous feedback on processes, management and corporate culture; e.g. weekly team health checks in which anonymous feedback is given on the current work situation.
Training for managers: Google trains managers to encourage open feedback and create a culture of openness.

Anonymous feedback in everyday life

Ruth is impressed when she hears about Google’s Project Aristotle. Anonymous feedback rounds – that sounds like a good idea. She sets up a survey. The questions are simple: “How confident do you feel about expressing your opinion?” and “What would help you feel more confident?”

The answers are sobering. Some colleagues state that they sometimes have the feeling that their opinion is “not relevant”. Others wish that “you could be wrong sometimes without it becoming a drama”. Ruth realizes that the psychological security in her team is weaker than she thought. She sticks to anonymous questioning: Every two weeks, the team fills out a short, anonymous survey. Ruth shares the results openly with the team and asks: “What can we do specifically to improve these points?”

Psychological safety as a management task

3 tips on what you can take from Google

You don’t have to be a tech giant to implement these approaches. Here are some simple measures you can start implementing in your team tomorrow:

Anonymous team checks: Let your team give feedback anonymously – for example with tools such as Slido or Mentimeter.
Introduce retrospectives: At the end of a project, plan a retrospective where each person answers two questions: 1. what went well? 2. what should we change next time?
Strengthen transparency: Share decisions and the decision-making process openly with your team. Let them understand why decisions were made this way and not otherwise.

Video on the topic of feedback

Fancy a little digression on the subject of feedback? Susanne explains how constructive feedback works. 4:36 minutes.

3.2. The 7 opponents of psychological safety in everyday life

Psychological safety is not a given. It is constantly under attack – from invisible adversaries who make it difficult to work together as a team. These adversaries are not always obvious, but their effect is clearly noticeable: insecurity, silence and a culture in which employees only do their work by the book.

The most well-known adversaries include fear of making mistakes, micromanagement, lack of recognition and unclear expectations. And because these adversaries are so insidious and we all encounter them time and again, it is worth taking a closer look at them.

When the adversaries of psychological security strike

The antagonists are also wreaking havoc in Ruth’s company, even though she has already taken some measures.
It’s Monday morning, 9:02 am.
The team meeting has just started. Ruth stands at the flipchart and asks: “Okay, who has ideas on how we can process customer inquiries faster?”
Silence. Again.
Everyone stares at the screen or at their notes. Ruth claps her hands in encouragement: “Come on, guys!”, then Sebastian speaks up: “Maybe we could standardize the editing… but I don’t know if that’s practical.” He looks uncertainly at Julia, who raises her eyebrows as if to say: “That will never work.”
Sebastian pulls back.Ruth realizes that one of the typical antagonists is active here.

1. fear and intimidation

What that looks like:

If team members are afraid of mistakes or criticism, they prefer not to express an opinion at all. They avoid taking risks and stay in their comfort zone.

Fear and intimidation in everyday business life:

Sebastian had an idea – and that’s a good thing. But at the first skeptical look from Julia, he withdraws. The invisible mechanism: fear of rejection. Instead of defending the idea, he rows back so as not to be wrong. This behavior paralyzes the team.

How to create psychological safety?

Ruth can shift the focus away from right or wrong to “What do we learn from this?”. One method: active questioning. “Sebastian, tell me, how exactly could that work? What would we need for it?” This gives him space to elaborate on his idea – and shows that he doesn’t have to have a perfect answer ready.

2. micromanagement

What that looks like:

When managers approve every decision and control every task, employees feel disempowered. This lowers motivation and fuels insecurity.

Micromanagement in everyday business life:

A few days later, Ruth is in the office with Anna, her project assistant. Anna: “I’ve finished the draft, do you want me to show it to you again before I send it off?” Ruth: “Have you checked everything? Are all the figures correct?” Anna nods, but seems unsure. “Then send it out,” says Ruth, but Anna waits – as if hoping for a second confirmation.

Here Ruth has – perhaps unconsciously – been micromanaging. Her follow-up question “Have you checked everything?” sends the message that she still has to check Anna’s work. This undermines trust.

How to create psychological safety?

Instead of signaling control, Ruth can rely on trust. “Anna, I know you’ve got this under control – feel free to send it straight out.” Alternatively, she could hand over responsibility more clearly: “This is your issue – you decide when it’s ready.” This boosts Anna’s self-confidence.

3. lack of transparency

What that looks like:

Decisions are made behind closed doors without the team knowing why something was decided. This leads to frustration and mistrust.

Lack of transparency in day-to-day business:

Ruth has a meeting with an external IT specialist. She likes his offer and is pleased that the new solution is inexpensive and can be used immediately. So on Friday, she decides that the team should use new software from next week – without communicating this in advance. On Monday, Sebastian asks: “Why are we doing this at all? What was wrong with the old software?” Julia intervenes: “Was this even agreed with us?” The atmosphere is tense.

How to create psychological safety?

Transparency means making the decision-making process visible. When new software is introduced, Ruth can announce this at an early stage and explain why she has chosen it. Even better: involve the team in the decision-making process. It could look like this: “We’re thinking about introducing new software, we’ve been annoyed with the previous one for long enough. I finally have the funds for it in the budget. What requirements do you have for a good solution?”

4. unclear expectations

What that looks like:

If employees do not know exactly what is expected of them, confusion arises. This creates uncertainty and limits their own initiative.

Unclear expectations in everyday business life:

Julia has to prepare a presentation for the client. “Make a crisp presentation for the appointment next week,” says Ruth. A week later, Ruth sees the presentation and is disappointed. “I thought we wanted to include more graphics.” Julia is frustrated: “You could have told me that beforehand.”

How to create psychological safety?

Unclear instructions are the ideal breeding ground for misunderstandings. Ruth should be specific about her expectations: “The presentation should have a maximum of 10 slides, be clearly structured and contain as many visual elements as possible.” That way, Julia knows exactly what to look out for.

How psychological safety promotes innovation

5. lack of recognition

What that looks like:

If achievements are not seen or appreciated, motivation decreases. People need their work to be appreciated.

Lack of recognition in everyday business life:

Sebastian has completed the quarterly figures much earlier than planned. He is proud that he has set such a fast pace and can still use the time for other things. Ruth sees the email, thinks “Great, done” – and moves on to the next item on her to-do list. Sebastian doesn’t hear from her. Two days later, he asks Ruth: “Have you seen the figures?” – “Yes, everything’s fine,” says Ruth. But Sebastian is disappointed: “Great, I could have made myself comfortable. Thank you very much.”

How to create psychological safety?

Praise and recognition cost nothing, but have a huge impact. It doesn’t always have to be a big round of applause – a quick “Thank you for doing that so quickly” is often enough. Small gestures show employees: My work is seen, I am making a contribution to our success.

6. poor communication

What that looks like:

Unclear instructions, information gaps and misunderstandings lead to uncertainty in the team.

Poor communication in day-to-day business:

Ruth sends a short message to the team: “Please remember the project deadline next week.” Julia wonders: “What deadline does she mean exactly? Is it the presentation or the market data?” Instead of asking, Julia waits – better safe than sorry.

How to create psychological safety?

Clarity creates security. Clear communication means saying exactly what is meant: “Please submit the presentation on project X to me by next Wednesday.” The less room there is for interpretation, the more secure the team members feel.

7. apportioning blame instead of analyzing causes

What that looks like:

When mistakes happen, people look for someone to blame. Employees protect themselves instead of being honest.

Assigning blame in everyday business life:

A customer complains about a late delivery. Ruth asks: “Who messed this up?” Julia is silent, Sebastian is silent. Everyone looks at the tabletop.

How to create psychological safety?

Away from the question of blame and towards the question of a solution: “What was the cause of this – and how can we ensure that it doesn’t happen again?” The aim is to focus on the process, not the person.

You can handle it with us!

Video on error culture

Oliver and Susanne talk about how to build a constructive error culture and a strong culture of trust. 22:44 min.

3.3. From a culture of fear to a culture of psychological safety

Definition of fear culture

A culture of fear means that company employees prefer to avoid failure rather than strive for success.

Culture of fear and motivation

In the 1950s and 1960s, the American psychologist John William Atkinson researched what drives people to perform or not to perform. Shame and fear turned out to be major inhibitors. Of course, not every company has a full-blown culture of fear, but it is important for every company to be able to identify where fear is at play and to counteract it. A culture of fear in a company is often subtle, but its effects are massive. We have discussed the consequences such as silence, cover-ups and withdrawal.

But the most important thing is:

Once a culture of fear has become established, it will not disappear by itself. It has to be actively changed!

Why individual measures are not enough for a culture of fear

Diversity training here, resilience training there – nicely meant, but ineffective if the underlying culture of fear remains unchanged.

Why? Because a corporate culture cannot be repaired by small individual measures.

A toxic culture is like a stain that has penetrated deep into the fabric of the company over the years. It manifests itself in small gestures and symbolic signals. This could be the executive limousine parked right at the main entrance or incentives for salespeople who have successfully snatched away internal competitors. Such signals shape the behavior of employees, because they have an eye on how things are going: What is rewarded? What is ignored? What is punished? After all, everyone wants to get on as well as possible in the workplace.

In this respect, the role of leadership is essential: a corporate culture can only change if the leadership authentically lives the desired values.

We have written a comprehensive article for you on the topic of corporate culture and cultural change: Corporate Culture Cultural Change: Definition, Examples 11 Step Tutorial

What to do with symptoms of a culture of anxiety?

Ruth sits at her desk and skims over the results of the anonymous feedback survey she launched two weeks ago. One piece of feedback sticks in her mind:

“I often have the feeling that my opinion doesn’t count here.” Ruth’s brow furrows. “We’ve already had that! That’s exactly why we introduced the feedback rounds and all the other things,” she ponders. “Why isn’t it having the desired effect?”

The next day, she meets with her team to discuss the results. She expects constructive suggestions – but the discussion remains superficial. Despite some recent improvements, the same old behavior is repeated: No one dares to be critical. Julia cautiously mentions that “sometimes decisions are made just like that and it is then difficult to question them”. Sebastian remains silent. Ruth’s emotions alternate between annoyed, angry and desperate: “It seemed to be making some progress, why can’t we just get on with it?” She has to admit to herself that there is more going on here than she thought. It’s not that easy to turn a fearful attitude into a joyful openness. After all, this culture of fear had existed in the company for almost two decades before Ruth even joined. Something like that doesn’t change that quickly.

Ruth realizes: Small measures such as feedback rounds or anonymous surveys are good – but they are not enough. Not in Ruth’s company.

At this point, Ruth decides to tackle the issue from the ground up. She contacts us, the berliner team , and asks us for support in developing a positive corporate culture. It is clear to Ruth that it is not the measures that make the difference, but the attitude behind them. And that’s exactly what she and her team are now working on together.

3.4. Your next steps towards psychological safety

Many studies have shown that psychological safety is not just a feel-good factor, but one of the most important success factors for companies. This means that no matter where your company currently stands in terms of psychological safety, it is worthwhile for you to take a close look and actively ensure a safe environment.

Sure – a culture of psychological safety doesn’t happen overnight. But with clear values, courageous leadership and joint work on cooperation, you can set the change in motion – step by step. We have given you lots of tips on how to do this.

Exercise for psychological safety

To get you started right away, we’ll finish with a little exercise that you can easily implement in your everyday life.

In the next three days, find the opportunity to say the following sentences to someone sincerely:

“I don’t know.” – Deal openly with uncertainties!
“I need help.” – Have the courage to ask for support!
“I made a mistake.” – Own up to it, it builds trust!
“I’m sorry.” – Be sincere!

With these small actions, you show that you are only human and that this is completely okay. This helps to create an environment of psychological safety.

Because the best changes start with yourself.

If you have any questions or would like to talk to us about psychological safety or corporate culture – then write to us or give us a call. We look forward to hearing from you.

Hello, I’m Christian Grätsch.

Psychological security as a foundation is so important and so much more comprehensive than personal resilience.
I would be happy to support you in expanding psychological safety in your company.

Let’s talk about it and find a practicable way.

Mail to Christian