Organizational psychologist William Kahn first explored the idea of psychological safety back in 1990, identifying it as a condition for personal engagement. According to Kahn, psychological safety allows employees to be themselves and fully engaged in the workplace “without fear of negative consequences to self-image, status, or career.” In the late 1990s, leadership expert Amy Edmondson expanded on this research, describing psychological safety as “a shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.” Since then, psychological safety has been woven into discussions of engagement, team effectiveness, innovation, risk taking, and team success.
But amid all the chatter, many are still taking shots in the dark trying to define what is a psychologically safe environment, and more importantly, how to create one. We look to neuroscience to help us unpack this phenomenon and harness the full potential of top teams.
The neuroscience of psychological safety
People do not prioritize social threats and rewards the same way, though. Psychological safety is somewhat complicated by individual differences in needs—we all have different thresholds for whether and how we may process experiences as threatening or not. Some research suggests that differences in how we evaluate these domains may be seen cross-culturally as well as across individuals. However, these five domains of social threat and reward generally hold true across individuals and populations, albeit to varying degrees and with varying importance.
Promoting a clear set of values and beliefs based on trust, connection, empathy, and shared responsibility supports psychological safety. It is preserved by serotonin and oxytocin, the former of which helps us form bonds through love and trust, allowing us to look out for those around us and strive to do right by those we are accountable to. A steady flow of serotonin and oxytocin signals that a person or a group is not experiencing threats, does not have to act out of self-preservation, and can thus work to maintain and promote group interests.
3 ways to promote psychological safety in the workplace
Companies and their leaders have a unique responsibility to set the tone for their teams, serving as role models in fostering the kind of culture they want their teams to have. But psychological safety is everyone’s job. It’s not the end goal of our actions, but rather a conscious choice that must be made every day—a critical input that fosters teams to be great. Here are three strategies leaders can put into practice to support psychologically safe environments that allow their teams to thrive:
1. Don’t forget the soft skills.
With a seemingly ever-increasing focus on hard skills, it is important to remember that much of what makes a leader effective is some of the soft skills. In fact, according to LinkedIn, 5 out of the top 10 most in-demand skills for 2023 were Management, Communication, Customer Service, Leadership, and Teamwork—all soft skills that contribute to the creation of a psychologically safe environment. Invest in these skills for yourself and your teams by modeling these skills themselves and offering training to direct reports.
2. Prioritize transparency.
Work is not always going to be comfortable, but there are ways to make the discomfort meaningful. Leaders can explain the purpose behind challenging assignments. Acknowledge that growth can be uncomfortable, but don’t stop listening for what kind or level of discomfort people are experiencing. Moreover, remember that transparency must exist in both directions. Asking for feedback is different from creating an environment where people feel safe to give it. Be sure that your direct reports are safe in sharing their feedback with you and be sure that you are prepared to hear it.
