Psychological Safety

This subject has become more widely understood, gained popularity and thus there is an extensive set of online resources on it.  We only  cover the most basic aspects here.

Key phrases: Uncertain & interdependent environments; threat; punishment; fight-or-flight response; logical thinking; engagement; motivation.

What is it?

Psychological safety is the belief that you won't be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes.

Why does it matter?

Ancient evolutionary adaptations explain why psychological safety is both fragile and vital to success in uncertain, interdependent environments. The brain processes a provocation by a boss, competitive coworker, or dismissive subordinate as a life-or-death threat. The amygdala, the alarm bell in the brain, ignites the fight-or-flight response, hijacking higher brain centres. This “act first, think later” brain structure shuts down perspective and analytical reasoning. Quite literally, just when we need it most, we lose our minds. While that fight-or-flight reaction may save us in life-or-death situations, it handicaps the strategic thinking needed in today’s workplace.

An Amygdala Hijack

Amygdala hijack happens when your brain reacts to psychological stress as if it's physical danger.  It's  an emotional response that is immediate, overwhelming, and out of measure with the actual stimulus because it has triggered a much more significant emotional threat. The term was coined by Daniel Goleman in his 1996 book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ.

Read more about the Amygdala Hijack.

When the higher cortex shuts down, our ability to conduct logical thinking is severely impaired.  This can of course impact a wide range of behaviours and abilities that adversely impact the company performance.  One of the most common impacts is on the quality of decision making.

Studies have show that improving psychological survey in the workplace makes decision making quicker and with better decisions being made.

Read more about how to improve Psychological Safety in your Workplace.

High Psychological Safety and High Performing Teams

This is an extract from a Harvard Business Review article from 2017:

The highest-performing teams have one thing in common: psychological safety — the belief that you won’t be punished when you make a mistake. Studies show that psychological safety allows for moderate risk-taking, speaking your mind, creativity, and sticking your neck out without fear of having it cut off — just the types of behavior that lead to market breakthroughs. So how can you increase psychological safety on your own team? First, approach conflict as a collaborator, not an adversary. When conflicts come up, avoid triggering a fight-or-flight reaction by asking, “How could we achieve a mutually desirable outcome?” Speak human-to-human, but anticipate reactions, plan countermoves, and adopt a learning mindset, where you’re truly curious to hear the other person’s point of view. Ask for feedback to illuminate your own blind spots. If you create this sense of psychological safety on your own team starting now, you can expect to see higher levels of engagement, increased motivation to tackle difficult problems, more learning and development opportunities, and better performance.