Creating Thriving Teams: The Power of Psychological Safety

Unlock the secrets to building high-performing teams with the transformative power of psychological safety. What if fostering an environment where your team feels safe to express ideas, ask questions, and admit mistakes could be the key to exceptional performance? Join Colin Bolton, founder of Goal Achievement Coaching, as he unpacks this vital concept, sharing groundbreaking insights from Amy Edmondson's research and Google's Project Aristotle. Learn how psychological safety is the cornerstone of innovation, effective collaboration, and personal growth.

Tune in as we offer practical steps to nurture this empowering environment, from encouraging open communication to leaders showing vulnerability and creating inclusive practices. Discover how treating psychological safety as an ongoing journey can lead to a thriving, resilient team built on trust and mutual respect. We also address common challenges like cultural barriers and fear of repercussions, providing strategies to overcome these hurdles. Ready to reshape your team dynamics and drive both personal and collective growth? This episode promises to inspire and equip you with the tools you need.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hello and welcome back to Casual Conversations
where we dive into the topicsthat shape our work and lives.
I'm Colin Bolton, founder ofGoal Achievement Coaching, and
today we're talking about aconcept that's crucial for
anyone looking to build ahigh-performing team
psychological safety.

(00:29):
Psychological safety is thesecret source that can transform
a group of individuals into acohesive, innovative and
resilient team.
So grab a coffee, sit back andlet's chat about how to
cultivate this essential elementin your team.
Have you ever been in a meetingwhere you wanted to share an

(00:52):
idea but hesitated because youfeared being judged or ignored?
Or maybe you've seen acolleague hold back, not
contributing what could havebeen a game-changing perspective
?
This is where psychologicalsafety comes into play.
First, let's break down whatpsychological safety is In

(01:16):
simple terms.
It's the belief that you won'tbe punished or humiliated for
speaking up with ideas,questions, concerns or mistakes.
For speaking up with ideas,questions, concerns or mistakes.
It's about creating anenvironment where team members
feel safe to take risks and bevulnerable in front of each
other.
Amy Edmondson, a professor atHarvard Business School, coined

(01:39):
the term and highlighted itsimportance in fostering
innovation, collaboration andinterpersonal risk-taking.
In other words, it's anenvironment where team members
feel comfortable speaking up,asking questions and making
mistakes without fear ofhumiliation or punishment.
Imagine a workplace whereeveryone is afraid to speak up,

(02:05):
ideas get stifled, innovationstalls and people feel
disconnected.
On the other hand, whenpsychological safety is present,
team members are more likely toshare their unique perspectives
, leading to diverse ideas andcreative solutions unique

(02:27):
perspectives leading to diverseideas and creative solutions.
Studies have shown that teamswith high psychological safety
are more effective, innovativeand adaptable to change.
They have betterproblem-solving abilities and
can handle conflictconstructively.
In short, psychological safetyis a key driver of team
performance and success.

(02:48):
Think about it In a world whereinnovation and agility are key,
the ability to share ideas andtake risks is vital.
Teams that foster psychologicalsafety encourage openness.
Teams that foster psychologicalsafety encourage openness,

(03:13):
trust and mutual respect, layingthe groundwork for creativity
and collaboration.
Let's now look at whypsychological safety matters and
why it is important forhigh-performing teams.
Research shows that teams withhigh levels of psychological
safety outperform those withoutit.
When team members feel safe,there are a number of benefits

(03:37):
for the team One they are morelikely to innovate.
New ideas often come from trialand error.
When people aren't afraid tofail, they're more likely to
experiment and come up withinnovative solutions.
Two teams with psychologicalsafety collaborate better and
have more effectivecommunication.

(03:58):
When everyone feels heard,collaboration becomes more
seamless and diverseperspectives lead to better
decision making.
And three psychological safetyand teams that have it and
exhibit it feel safe to learnand grow.
Mistakes become learningopportunities rather than

(04:22):
setbacks.
In a psychologically safeenvironment, team members can
give and receive constructivefeedback, fostering personal and
professional growth.
Some research that comes fromGoogle's Project Aristotle
studied hundreds of teams tofigure out what makes the best

(04:44):
ones tick.
They found that psychologicalsafety was the number one
predictor of team success.
Teams with this quality weremore effective and had higher
job satisfaction.
Now that we know whypsychological safety matters,

(05:04):
let's explore how we can createpsychological safety within our
teams.
Here are some practical stepsto get started 1.
Encourage open communication.
Foster an environment whereeveryone feels comfortable
expressing their thoughts andideas.
Encourage questions andcuriosity and make it clear that

(05:29):
all voices are valued.
2.
Show vulnerability as a leader.
As a leader, set the tone bybeing open about your own
mistakes and uncertainties.
This demonstrates that it'sokay to be human and encourages
others to do the same.
Three respond positively tofeedback.

(05:54):
When team members sharefeedback or ideas, respond with
appreciation and curiosityrather than defensiveness.
This helps create a culturewhere feedback is seen as an
opportunity for growth.
Four create inclusive practices.

(06:14):
Make sure meetings anddecision-making processes are
inclusive, give everyone achance to contribute and make it
clear that diverse perspectivesare not only welcome but
essential.
And lastly, number five, fostermutual respect.
Build a foundation of trust andrespect within the team,

(06:38):
encourage empathy andunderstanding, and address any
disrespectful Behavior promptly.
Building psychological safetyIsn't always easy.
It requires consistent effortand a willingness to address
Challenges head on.
Some common obstacles includecultural barriers.

(07:00):
Different cultural backgroundscan affect how people
communicate and perceivepsychological safety.
Be mindful of these differencesand strive for cultural
competence.
Fear of repercussions Employeesmight fear negative
consequences for speaking up.
Address this by ensuring thatthere are no negative

(07:22):
repercussions for honestfeedback.
Resistance to change Some teammembers may be resistant to
changing established norms.
Overcome this by demonstratingthe benefits of psychological
safety through small wins andsuccess stories.
Psychological safety throughsmall wins and success stories.

(07:45):
Let's now take a look at somereal-life examples of companies
that have successfully builtpsychological safety.
Google, known for itsinnovative culture, google
conducted a study called ProjectAristotle that I mentioned
earlier, which found thatpsychological safety was the
most important factor in teamsuccess.
Pixar, the animation giant,fosters psychological safety

(08:11):
through regular brain trustmeetings, where filmmakers
receive candid feedback in asupportive environment Etsy
feedback in a supportiveenvironment Etsy Etsy encourages
psychological safety bypromoting a culture of learning
from failure and celebratingdiverse perspectives.

(08:33):
In today's rapidly changingworld, the ability to foster
psychological safety can setyour team apart.
By creating an environmentwhere everyone feels valued and
safe to contribute, you're notonly building a high-performing
team, but also a thrivingcommunity.
Remember, buildingpsychological safety is a

(08:56):
journey, not a one-time effort.
It's a foundational element forany high-performing team.
By fostering an environmentwhere team members feel safe to
express themselves, we're notjust improving performance,
we're also building a culture oftrust, innovation and
resilience.
Well, folks, that's all fortoday's episode of Casual

(09:21):
Conversations.
I hope you found these insightshelpful and that you're
inspired to take action in yourown team.
If you enjoyed this episode,please subscribe, share and
leave us a review.
Until next time, keep theconversation casual and the
impact profound.