Psychological safety is being able to show and employ one's self without fear of negative consequences of self-image, status or career. It can be defined as a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking. In psychologically safe teams, team members feel accepted and respected.
“Psychological safety is a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes” – Amy Edmondson
In this talk by Amy Edmonson she summarizes the need for safety not only in our personal lives but at work - it’s only a few minutes long and easy to consume.
Her academic article is here
In addition to this, the resource ["Good leaders make you feel good"](https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=lmyZMtPVodo ) by Simon Sinek, management theory is excellent.
- Leadership
- Engagement
- Understanding
- Avoid blame, build trust
- Be self-aware
- Reduce negativity
- Champion others
- Be open to feedback
- Inclusion and acceptance
- Include others in decision making
- Create space for everyone to voice their opinions
- Show and value the ideas of others
- Challenge the status quo
- Communication
- Promote positive dialogue and discussion
- Explain reasons for change
- Be precise with expectations and commitments
I love this short course by Gitlab, it's super comprehensive and can be worked through at your own pace.
Psychological safety action pack
It is also worth looking at the main part of the website pscyhsafety
This toolkit is a pack of infographics and sheets that provide simple to consume and easily understandable checks for making a safety net at work and in life.
High performing teams need psychological safety heres how to create it
The HBR distills alot of the principals laid out by Amy and offers some formulaic approach to encouraging safety
I like this one, it’s simple enough to read it once and get something out of it.
What is pyschological safety at work
One of the best things about this article is the identification of both passive and active negative behaviours. Also they have a cool infographic