Psychological Safety is Not Being Nice

Defining Psychological Safety

According to Google's Project Aristotle, psychological safety is the number one predictor of team success. It does not mean lowering standards or avoiding difficult conversations. It means team members feel safe taking interpersonal risks.

Blameless Post-Mortems

When a project fails, focus the investigation on the process, not the person. Ask 'What in our system allowed this mistake to happen?' rather than 'Who screwed up?'

Model Vulnerability

Leaders set the tone. If you admit your mistakes publicly, your team will do the same. If you hide your failures, your team will bury theirs until they become catastrophes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this mean I can't fire underperformers?

No. Psychological safety requires high accountability. Tolerating incompetence destroys safety for the high performers.

How do I measure it?

Track how often team members speak up with dissenting opinions in meetings. Silence is a warning sign.