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Psychological Safety

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“a shared understanding by members of any system or team

that the team can be trusted for interpersonal risk-taking.”

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They wanted his VP seat and circled around him like a bunch of piranhas, undermining him and each other as they tried to outmaneuver each other to catch the attention and favor of the women he reported to – a person who I felt was similarly bullying her peers. The results waterfalled through the organization, creating mediocrity and backstabbing. I was a single mom and something of an anomaly in Google’s Ivy League-prioritizing culture, so I felt a bit of hazing for having only a state college degree – in my interviews I was asked why I had chosen to go to a “Tier 3” college. I’m not making that up. But my team did a great job, and I had work experience that equipped me to succeed in leading them, so nobody came directly after me. Still, I saw the aggression toward my boss, and I wasn’t surprised when, a few years into his tenure there, he told me he was leaving. When one of the piranhas came by my office to announce that I now reported to him, even though I felt quite vulnerable, I instantly decided to get out. I didn’t want the toxicity I knew I’d be facing to seep down to my kids, or to add to the stress I already felt.

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As hard as it was, I saw less risk in leaving Google than I did in staying there. I felt badly for my team. Yet I couldn’t combat the reality that they, too, were being positioned against each other by the competitive, fear-based culture I experienced there. Most of the people on my team were highly educated, holding graduate degrees from big-name colleges, people who had checked all of the boxes to get where they’d gotten and too often wondered why they felt so un-confident and tentative in their roles. I’d never heard of Psychological Safety during my Google years, yet when their study was released about 5 years after I left, I instantly understood why I’d felt the way I had – and why my bright, ambitious team so often withheld their talent. Not all of them, yet quite a few who had more potential than they let themselves share. Better late than never, I guess – and the insight inspired me to explore workplace psychology more deeply, and even to end up teaching various organizational courses at Stanford. I’ll be sharing much of what I learned with you today.

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“...a workplace where every individual feels safe and confident to bring their authentic selves to work. Communication is clear, the environment is designed for collaboration, and people experience belonging. Regular reflection and creative exploration allow individuals to use their talents fully, driving innovation and problem-solving. Ultimately, this helps both individuals and teams thrive.”

Gina Battye, Author, “The Authentic Organization”

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Professor Amy C. Edmondson

Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School

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RESISTANCE

TO NEW OR DIFFERENT VIEWS

“COMMON KNOWLEDGE EFFECT”

BLAMING OTHERS*

FEAR OF MAKING OR ADMITTING MISTAKES

WARNING SIGNS

OF

PSYCHOLOGICAL DANGER

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RESISTANCE

TO NEW OR DIFFERENT VIEWS

“COMMON KNOWLEDGE EFFECT”

BLAMING OTHERS*

FEAR OF MAKING OR ADMITTING MISTAKES

WARNING SIGNS

OF

PSYCHOLOGICAL DANGER

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IMPROVED INNOVATION & DECISIONS

ANALYSIS & LEARNING FROM

FAILURE

CONFIDENCE ADMITTING MISTAKES

OPEN IDEA SHARING AND ITERATION

SIGNS

OF

PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY

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“People who lack psychological safety shut down, often without realizing it. They are less likely to seek or accept feedback, or to experiment, discuss errors, or speak up about potential or actual problems. They live in a cloud of negativity, unable to do their best work.”

Christine Porath, Harvard Business Review

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THIS IS NEUROSCIENCE

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A SAFE BRAIN THINKS FULLY

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THE CEREBELLUM & MIDBRAIN

Body/Brain connection; autonomous body regulation and management

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THE LIMBIC SYSTEM

The emotional center –

and first responder

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THE LIMBIC SYSTEM

The emotion and memory

management driver –

and first responder

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THE CORTEX

Sensory and cognitive processes: perception, some interpretation, “thinking”

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THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX�(PFC)

Highest level thinking: executive function, intentionality, complex and strategic modeling. The brain’s uniquely human “Director”

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“Thinking Fast,

Thinking Slow”

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“Thinking Fast,

Thinking Slow”

SLOWER

FASTER

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“Thinking Fast,

Thinking Slow”

RESPONSIVE

REACTIVE

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“Thinking Fast,

Thinking Slow”

MORE RELIABLE

LESS RELIABLE

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The Amygdala

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The Amygdala Hijack

Fight… flight… freeze… “fawn”... etc.

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FIGHT & FLIGHT

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The Amygdala Hijack

Takes the PFC offline

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A SAFE BRAIN

THINKS FULLY…

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A BRAIN UNDER THREAT DOES NOT

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ONE MORE THING…

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SET & FORGET

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THE HOMOGENEITY HIJACK

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Conflict avoidance masks fear.

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“Honesty aversion” masks fear.

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THOUGHTS?

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Where orgs get lost…

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“Comfort”

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COMFORT ≠ SAFETY

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SAFETY ≠ COMFORT

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COMFORTABLE

SAFE

comfortable & unsafe =

false security; lack of progress

uncomfortable & SAFE =

The learning zone, growth mindset, actual GROWTH, “Brave Space”

comfortable & safe =

“comfort zone;” “steady

as she goes”...

uncomfortable & unsafe =

the trauma zone

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5 Paths to Safety

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5 Steps to Safety

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1. The Mindset: "Mistakes are Data, Not Failure" (Growth Mindset)

Action: "Normalize Failure and Treat it as Learning." Participants should learn to share mistakes openly without fear of punishment or humiliation.*
Train it: Run "blameless retrospectives" or "fail-fast" exercises, where the focus is on what was learned, not who to blame.

* with a commitment to course correction

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2. The Action: "Active and Empathetic Listening"

Action: "Listen to Understand, Not to Reply." Practice being fully present, suspending judgment, and soliciting feedback, especially from quieter team members.
Train it: "Active listening,” where one person shares and the other reflects back what they heard without offering immediate solutions or critique.

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3. The Mindset: "Vulnerability is a Strength"

Action: Model Vulnerability: Leaders and team members openly share when they have made mistakes, need help, or don't have the answers.
Train it: Use "personal history" exercises, where team members share their own "worst job" or a time they struggled, increasing empathy and team connection.

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4. The Action: "Proactive Inclusion"

Action: Actively invite (ask for!) diverse perspectives. Move beyond accepting input to actively seeking / asking for other perspectives, especially with critical decisions.
Train it: Structure “turn-taking" in meetings, using round-robin sharing or silent brainstorming (writing ideas on post-its first) to ensure everyone has an equal voice.

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5. The Action: "Responding with Curiosity, Not Judgment"

Action: Respond to problems with “What Can We Learn?” When a team member voices concern or presents a dissenting opinion, respond with curiosity rather than shut-down or criticism.
Train it: Rephrase judgmental responses (e.g., "Why did you do that?") into constructive ones (e.g., "What led to that decision?"). “HOW” ≥ “WHAT” or “WHY”

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ALL OF THESE SERVE

WHOLE-BRAIN THINKING

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PRIMING

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2. (you guessed it…)

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Prompt directly, challenge personally

“Combine psychological safety and radical candor to give me 3 feedback starters for a colleague who is very talented yet frequently misses his deadlines.”

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Be clear about OWNERSHIP. Empower, don’t enable.

… and maybe a 3rd.