What Is Psychological Safety?

Harvard Business Review has published not one but two articles on Psychological Safety in the workplace over the past 9 months here and here. If you are fortunate enough to have a healthy paid and volunteer staff in your office – or for my context – in your church, count yourselves most fortunate. And it’s way more fun to work in an organization where there is good-humor, joy, and safety.

Laura Delizonna defines “psychological safety” as:

The belief that you won’t be punished when you make a mistake. Studies show that psychological safety allows for taking moderate risks, speaking your mind, being creative, and sticking your neck out without fear of having it cut off 

• The liturgist forgets to announce a hymn.
• The confirmation teacher tries a new strategy that doesn’t work.
• The sermon series is a bust.
• The stewardship chairperson is slow to get letters out.

If people trust each other in an organization, simple fails don’t matter much. It’s easier to be forgiving and gracious when the staff gets along well and have each other’s backs.

But when trust is lagging – especially when congregations are anxious after COVID or some other cultural transition – it can be tempting to attack those who make mistakes. And a lack of grace is contagious.

I’m seeing lots of trust issues post-COVID and maybe they’ve been there all along. And helping a congregation move from rampant suspicion to deep trust is a long process that might involve more heartache before it gets better.

But it can get better.

Amy Gallo identifies the importance of learning as a tool for creating trust.

• What did we learn when we moved from daily Vacation Bible School to evening once-a-week Vacation Bible School?
• What did we learn when we tried shifting the Annual Chili Dinner from October to August?
• What did we learn when volunteers filled in for the church secretary last July?

Why is psychological safety important? Gallo writes this:

First, psychological safety leads to team members feeling more engaged and motivated, because they feel that their contributions matter and that they’re able to speak up without fear of retribution. Second, it can lead to better decision-making, as people feel more comfortable voicing their opinions and concerns, which often leads to a more diverse range of perspectives being heard and considered. Third, it can foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement, as team members feel comfortable sharing their mistakes and learning from them.

I can imagine someone reading this with dread because they know that there is no psychological safety where you work. I’m so sorry. I’ve been there. It can get better.

If you are the boss, please consider taking the lead on fostering a culture where failure is an opportunity to learn. If you are not the boss, consider approaching your supervisor – perhaps with another staff member – and share that you’d love to work together to bolster a culture of serving together better. And how can you do that as a team?

It is an underrated joy to work on a team that makes each individual better for the sake of a healthier institution. And the whole reason to have a healthier institution when we are in a church context is to expand the reign of God and make earth a bit more like heaven. (I know because I work on that team now.)

Image from Amy Edmonson’s book The Fearless Organization.