What is psychological safety?

How do school business leaders embed psychological safety into practice? Andrew Blench, school business management consultant and coach, explains what psychological safety is and how you can implement it

Read the full article below or read on page 34 in our October magazine

It is thought that the term ‘psychological safety’ was first used by organisational researchers Edgar Schein and Warren Bennis in 1965. It is ‘an atmosphere where one can take chances (which experimentalism implies) without fear and with sufficient protection’. Where psychological safety exists in the workplace there is a ‘climate which encourages provisional tries and which tolerates failure without retaliation, renunciation, or guilt’. (Schein and Bennis, 1965, p. 44-45)

Quite simply, it’s an environment where people can ‘be themselves’ and feel free to express their emotions, thoughts and selves without fear of negative consequences. It is an environment in which I do not feel that I have to hide who I am, a place where people do not need to hide their sexual orientation, neurodiversity, political views, ethnicity, religion or beliefs. Where psychological safety exists people can feel empowered and enabled to take calculated risks. To try out new ways of doing things and to experiment.

According to Dr Timothy Clark in The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation, there are four stages to psychological safety.

• Inclusion safety – the feeling that you belong here; that you are accepted and included in what is going on, and feel comfortable being here. For those who have studied Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, this equates to ‘belonging’ need. 
• Learner safety – this is about being able to ask questions, to admit that you don’t know something and the ability to ask for help.
• Contributor safety – you feel safe to contribute to a discussion, or just generally in the workplace or team. 
• Challenger safety – people feel able to question and challenge those in authority, perhaps suggesting different ways of doing things and ways of working.

Why is it important?

Let’s face it – who wants to work in an environment where the reverse is true? We might call this a ‘toxic work environment’. It’s not pleasant being in an environment where there is a ‘blame culture’ and anything which goes wrong has to be someone’s fault. 

Teams and workplaces with high levels of psychological safety are pleasant places to work.

Research points out that high-performing organisations have high levels of psychological safety. It’s hard to drive improvements without an environment where people’s contributions and ideas are welcome. 

There are huge benefits of bringing one’s whole self to work. If we are to truly provide an equal, diverse and inclusive workplace, we have to welcome all people – including those whose backgrounds may be very different from our own. 

Problem-solving works better in such environments because we encourage better ideas faster. Rather than someone sitting on an idea, or suggestion, out of fear that they won’t be taken seriously (because I am only the school caretaker, what do I know?) ideas come through naturally and quickly.

The ability to ask questions is also enhanced. Have you ever worked with someone who is new to your school or role and simply gets on with their work and never asks any questions? This might be because they are perfectly fine in their role, but could it also be a warning sign of problems which might come to light further down the road. Personally, I tend to be nervous about people who are new to a role and don’t ask questions.

Psychologically safe environments nurture the ability to admit mistakes. To work in an environment where people feel unable to admit their mistakes can be dangerous. It is said that it was a component of the Chernobyl disaster that staff worked in such a fearful culture that, rather than admit their mistakes, they would go to extreme lengths to cover them up.  As someone once said,‘He who never made a mistake; never made anything’. The ability to say, ‘Hey look I don’t think this is working’, is really valuable.

The danger for any organisation is that it clings to old ways of doing things because they are familiar and comfortable, even when they are patently not working. Often everyone knows they aren’t working, but dares not say anything.

How do we embed psychological safety into our practice?

• Check out what’s happening right now.
• Ask yourself some simple questions. Do colleagues admit they don’t understand something and ask for help? Do team members challenge entrenched ways of doing things and offer alternatives? Do staff regularly contribute to staff or team meetings? Are all of your team members contributing?
• Include some questions about psychological safety in your next staff survey.
• Don’t become overly defensive when, as the school business leader, you receive some challenges around your areas of responsibility. 
• Encourage equal levels of contribution from all team members in meetings. Go around the room and give each person two minutes to speak without interruption. 
• Don’t equate silence with an empty mind! Some of the best ideas come from some of the quietest people. 
• Acknowledge all contributions, even if you don’t agree with them. Value different perspectives and cultural differences. 
• Listen to others with genuine curiosity and respect.
• Remember, ‘Leaders who don’t listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say’ Andy Stanley.