What is Psychological Safety?
Sometimes, an idea such as Psychological Safety can seem a lot to begin to understand. What does it mean, and how does it apply to your own life? However, academic concepts such as Psychological Safety at its core represent everyday interactions in the workplace that you experience day in and day out. In this section, let’s take some time to learn a bit more about what Psychological Safety is, and how it can apply to your life!
Psychological Safety is the foundation of a thriving and humane workplace. It’s an environment where individuals can freely express themselves, ask questions, and admit to mistakes without fear of humiliation or blame. This fosters trust, prompt error reporting, seamless teamwork, and innovation sharing.
Psychological Safety not only improves the well-being of individuals but also can make organizations better in a world that is complex and constantly changing. In the modern era of work, teamwork is extremely important and Psychological Safety is foundational for successful teamwork to take place. Importantly, Psychological Safety doesn’t mean someone will not experience consequences in the workplace. Instead, reduces fear, allowing individuals to take reasonable risks in a workplace setting which lets them participate fully.
Psychological Safety in the workplace is important for both individual well-being and overall organizational success as employees can bring their whole self to work without fear of negative consequences. The Canadian National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace emphasizes that Psychological Safety is embedded in daily interactions and the way working conditions and management practices are structured.
