By Chris Jones — Leadership & Development Specialist/Coach
Psychological safety has become a buzzword but buzzwords don’t change behaviour.
You can have posters on the wall that say “We speak up here”…
…while your team silently thinks “Not after what happened last time.”
Psychological safety is not a statement.
It’s a consistent experience.
And when it’s strong, performance changes fast:
People stop playing not-to-lose… and start playing to win.
It’s not about:
- Always being comfortable
- Avoiding conflict
- Being endlessly positive
It IS about:
- Permission to ask questions
- Permission to make mistakes
- Permission to disagree
- Permission to be yourself
Without fear of embarrassment, punishment, or exclusion.
People don’t need free lunches.
They need freedom to contribute.
Signs Psychological Safety Is Low
- Silence in meetings
- Cameras off, no questions, “whatever you think is fine…”
- Innovation stalls - same ideas, same results
- People avoid challenging poor decisions
- High performers = high flight risk
Low safety doesn’t always look loud.
Often, it looks like nothing.
Why Safety Drives Performance
Brain science tells us:
- Threat activates the survival brain (fight/flight/freeze)
- Safety activates the creative brain (innovation, learning & growth)
You cannot ask a nervous system to take risks while it’s busy protecting itself.
Practical Ways Leaders Build Psychological Safety (Daily)
Here are five behaviours that create big shifts:
1. Model Vulnerability
Say when you don’t know.
“I haven’t figured this out yet - let’s explore together.”
Leaders go first.
2. Reward Candour
When someone challenges you…
- Say thank you
- Ask a follow-up question
- Show where their input lands
Voice + impact = trust.
3. Practice Curious Listening
Replace:
- “Why did you do that?”
- “Talk me through your thinking…”
Judgement shuts ideas down.
Curiosity multiplies them.
4. Invite Disagreement Before Decisions
“What risks are we not seeing yet?”
“Who sees it differently?”
Silence is not alignment.
5. Make Failure a Learning Loop
Establish a no-blame debrief:
- What worked?
- What didn’t?
- What do we try next time?
We improve what we examine, not what we hide.
A Plug-and-Play Script for Your Next Meeting
Use this opener:
“Before we start - I need your voices.
If something doesn’t make sense or you think there’s a better way, please speak up. That’s what helps us win together.”
Then prove you mean it by responding well when someone actually does.
Try This Team Exercise: “Red–Amber–Green”
Go around the room and ask:
- Green: What’s working well?
- Amber: What’s uncertain or unclear?
- Red: What’s not right and needs action?
Then tackle the reds first.
It builds shared ownership and removes hidden risk fast.
Leaders Create the Climate
If people aren’t speaking…
Don’t assume they have nothing to say.
Assume they don’t feel safe yet.
Your role:
- Protect the learner
- Challenge the behaviour
- Grow the capability
Safety isn’t soft.
It’s strategic.
Call to Action This Week
Choose ONE:
- Ask your team: “What’s one thing I could do differently to make it easier for you to speak up?”
- Celebrate someone who raised a tough issue
- Share something you learned from a mistake
- Start a project retro with no-blame rules
Results come from the conversations we allow.
Supporting Leaders Who Support People
If your organisation wants to:
- Give people permission to contribute more boldly
- Build stronger learning cultures
- Improve innovation and team performance
Let’s talk about how coaching and leadership development can unlock that shift.
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