In today’s fast-changing organisational world, more and more attention is being given to employees’ psychological well-being. With the emergence of new organisational structures, a more diverse workforce, and technological shifts—including the transition to remote work during the pandemic—the concept of psychological safety has become essential for building productive, innovative, and healthy workplaces.

While work offers financial stability and career growth, psychological safety makes employees feel respected and secure enough to share ideas, ask questions, and collaborate without fear of negative consequences.

Psychological safety is the shared belief among employees that they can voice opinions, take risks, ask questions, and even admit mistakes—all without fear of punishment or criticism. Harvard professor Amy Edmondson, among the first to study this concept, described it as “permission for candor.”

Edmondson first encountered the concept while researching whether medical errors were linked to team effectiveness in hospitals. To her surprise, she discovered that higher-performing teams actually reported more errors. What initially seemed paradoxical led her to hypothesize that more effective teams are more willing to acknowledge mistakes because members feel safe enough to discuss errors openly without fear of blame or reprimand.

Numerous studies further confirm the importance of psychological safety. Research by Frazier et al. (2017) showed that psychological safety is linked to greater team effectiveness and innovation at work. Google’s internal research also concluded that psychological safety is the “single most important” factor influencing team success and performance.

Yet many employees still do not feel this sense of safety at work. A 2019 Gallup survey revealed that only 30% of respondents felt their opinions were valued at work. Catalyst reported that half of women in leadership roles struggle to voice their views, while 20% said they felt ignored on video calls. These challenges are especially pronounced among marginalised groups, who often feel an even deeper lack of safety.

How can organisations foster psychological safety?

Psychological safety can be developed from the perspectives of leaders, organisations, and employees themselves.

Amy Edmondson suggests several steps for leaders:

Encourage employees to speak up.
Many people feel safer staying silent, which can result in groupthink—when teams, seeking harmony, make less effective decisions. Leaders must create environments that encourage open expression, explaining why diverse perspectives lead to better outcomes.

Acknowledge mistakes.
Leaders who show vulnerability by admitting mistakes and sharing lessons learned make it easier for others to do the same.

Actively invite open communication.

Employees seldom speak up on their own. Leaders should actively request feedback using open-ended questions such as:

• What are you noticing?
• What are your thoughts on this?
• How do you feel about this idea?

Respond productively.
Leaders should react with curiosity and respect rather than criticism or blame, ensuring employees feel valued and heard.

Organisations also play a critical role. Key steps include training managers in psychological safety, reducing unnecessary hierarchies that block communication, and fostering a culture of respectful dialogue. Recognising and rewarding employees for their strengths further enhances both safety and engagement.

Employees can also contribute by asking questions, listening actively, and inviting colleagues’ input—small steps that help create safe and supportive workplaces.

Developing psychological safety in organisations

Building psychological safety doesn’t happen overnight. Dr. Timothy Clark, author of The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation (2020), outlines four stages organisations move through to create true psychological safety:

Inclusion Safety – Meeting the basic human need for belonging. Individuals feel accepted as part of the group simply for who they are.

Learning Safety – Meeting the need to learn and grow. Individuals feel safe to ask questions, experiment, and make mistakes without fear of embarrassment.

Contributor Safety – Once included and given the chance to learn, individuals feel empowered to contribute with their skills and knowledge as full team members.

Challenger Safety – The highest level, where individuals feel safe to challenge the status quo, suggest changes, and push for improvement.

Psychological safety forms the foundation for organisational success. It allows employees to feel included, respected, and confident to share ideas without fear of repercussions. Leaders play a crucial role by promoting open, respectful communication and modelling vulnerability. Although the process takes time and commitment, the result is stronger teams, greater innovation, and long-term employee well-being and organisational success.