In 2008, Amy Edmondson, a researcher and professor at the Harvard School of Business, was invited to Google’s headquarters to conduct, together with other colleagues, a large-scale study of the factors that make Google teams effective. Following extensive observations, as well as psychometric testing, Edmondson and her colleagues identified 5 major factors involved in the effectiveness of work teams, the most important of which was psychological safety. Edmondson continues research on this topic and in 2018 publishes “The Fearless Organization”, a work that has become a guide for all those who want to ensure an environment characterized by psychological safety in their company.
Psychological safety refers to the individuals’ perception that they can express themselves and learn within the work team without fear of being criticized or humiliated.
At work, many valuable resources or innovative ideas can be lost if the members of a team are afraid to express themselves freely and self-censor to avoid humiliation; or believe that what is expected of them is to confirm that only the manager is right. In some teams, people do not ask for clarification for fear of socially positioning themselves below their colleagues and continue to work by virtue of inertia. In other teams, opinions or initiatives that do not fit the norm are taxed immediately and without appeal, and employees understand that they must operate in a punitive organizational culture and then choose to go low, under the radar.
Below are some criteria to help you reflect on the psychological safety in your organization:
- If one makes a mistake, it is held against them
- Team members can bring up observed problems or more difficult topics
- If someone is different, they will be rejected
- In my team I feel safe to take risks
- It is difficult for me to ask for the support of my colleagues
- No one on this team would intentionally do anything to undermine my efforts
- My skills are valued and used in this team
