This article explores why psychological safety is not just a cultural ideal but a strategic necessity. Highlighting the latest research, debunking common misconceptions, and offering actionable ways to create high-trust, high-performance teams.
- Learn why psychological safety is crucial for transparency, innovation, and resilience in high-performing teams
- Understand the common misconception that high-performing teams make more mistakes – and the reality that they report mistakes more readily because of a culture of trust
- Discover practical strategies to build psychological safety in your organisation, driving greater collaboration, learning, and long-term success
Psychological safety: changing how we understand high performance
It’s often misreported that high-performing teams make more mistakes than others. The reality, uncovered by Harvard Professor Amy Edmondson, tells a different story: high-performing teams don’t make more mistakes, they report more mistakes.
This distinction is powerful. It points directly to the presence of psychological safety: an environment where employees feel safe enough to speak up, admit errors, offer new ideas, and challenge the status quo without fear of ridicule or retribution.
Rather than hiding failures, these teams surface them early, allowing for faster learning, better decision-making, and stronger overall performance. Psychological safety isn’t a soft benefit, it’s a foundational element of organisational success.
Understanding psychological safety
Psychological safety is a shared belief that a team environment is safe for interpersonal risk-taking. Introduced by Amy Edmondson in her pivotal 1999 research, it challenges traditional assumptions about workplace dynamics. In psychologically safe workplaces, individuals feel:
- Safe to voice concerns
- Empowered to ask for help
- Comfortable offering dissenting views
Without psychological safety, fear stifles innovation. Mistakes are concealed, questions go unasked, and creativity dries up. As Edmondson asserts in The Fearless Organization, psychological safety is essential for organisations seeking to thrive in complexity and uncertainty.
Key statistic:
A 2024 survey by McKinsey found that only 26% of employees believe they work in a psychologically safe environment, reinforcing how rare – and valuable – it is.
The high cost of low psychological safety
When psychological safety is missing, the costs are steep:
- Missed opportunities: employees withhold valuable ideas and insights
- Reduced innovation: fear discourages experimentation and risk-taking
- Higher turnover: lack of trust pushes talent out the door
Research shows that teams with high psychological safety are 27% more likely to report higher performance, 50% more likely to retain top talent, and 76% more likely to engage in strong collaboration practices (source: Google’s Project Aristotle, 2022).
When people don’t feel safe to speak up, the entire organisation’s capacity for growth, resilience, and adaptation is compromised.
Building a psychologically safe workplace
Organisations that want to build sustainable high performance must make psychological safety a priority. Key strategies include:
- Model vulnerability: leaders should openly admit mistakes and invite feedback
- Encourage curiosity: frame questions and challenges as opportunities for learning, not threats
- Reward speaking up: publicly acknowledge those who raise concerns or share ideas
- Address violations promptly: act decisively when behaviours that erode trust occur
As Edmondson highlights, psychological safety isn’t about being "nice" all the time. It’s about creating an environment where tough questions and hard truths can be shared, respectfully and productively.
Organisational impact: why psychological safety matters
The benefits of cultivating psychological safety are profound:
- Faster innovation: teams can experiment, fail safely, and iterate quickly
- Higher engagement: employees are more likely to invest energy and creativity when they feel secure
- Greater agility: organisations can pivot and adapt more rapidly when communication is open and honest
- Better decision-making: diverse perspectives surface, leading to richer discussions and smarter outcomes
Companies that embed psychological safety into their culture position themselves for long-term success, resilience, and human-centred leadership.
Conclusion: psychological safety as a strategic imperative
Psychological safety isn’t a "nice to have", it’s a strategic must-have for organisations seeking enduring success.
By learning from Amy Edmondson’s research and embracing the principles of openness, respect, and inclusion, businesses can unlock the full potential of their teams. In a world where adaptability and innovation are critical, creating a culture where everyone feels safe to speak up isn’t just beneficial, it’s essential.
Author
Olly Deasy People Development Partner
With over 20 years’ experience working with high performing teams across sport, business and education, Oliver brings a deep understanding of what drives success in dynamic and demanding environments. Over the past five years, he has worked as a consultant, helping organisations unlock the potential of their people through tailored strategies that enhance collaboration, resilience, and performance.
Oliver’s passion lies in human performance and the science of how teams work together. His insights into what makes teams excel. Whether in the boardroom or on the pitch, help leaders create cultures of trust, clarity and shared purpose. At NFP, he supports clients in building high-performing teams that thrive under pressure and deliver sustainable results.