Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson described psychological safety as “the belief shared by team members that no one will be punished or humiliated for speaking out about ideas, doubts, concerns, or mistakes.”

Psychological safety is more than just a nice term to encourage employee engagement, it's a critical component of high-performing teams. A two-year Google study, Project Aristotle, found five components in high-performing teams:

• Psychological safety
• Dependability
• Structure and clarity
• Work meaning
• Work impact
  
  

Of the five, psychological safety was considered not only the most important but also the foundation for the other components. That study described psychological safety as: “feeling safe to be vulnerable or taking risks in front of teammates”. At its core, psychological safety is when team members feel safe to take interpersonal risks.

How do you impact your team's level of psychological safety?

Based on over 25 years of helping organizations and individuals create teams that reach their full potential, Hyper Island has developed a unique assessment relevant for all professionals. It's fun, simple, and easy to complete. Take it yourself and share it with your friends and colleagues. 

Take the quiz below and find out if you as a leader are fostering psychological safety through your daily behaviors: