Psychological Safety

What is psychological safety? 

Psychological safety in the workplace is the belief that a person can share ideas, concerns, or mistakes without fear of judgement or negative consequences. Between colleagues, it encourages open collaboration, sharing knowledge, and risk-taking, which help to build trust and drive innovation. It also fosters a respectful, inclusive environment where employees feel valued and accountable. In psychologically safe workplaces, workers feel accepted and respected. 

A psychologically safe team has several proven benefits. When teams are psychologically safe, both the organization and its people succeed.  

What are the benefits of psychological safety in the workplace? 

When your team feels safe to speak up, the whole organization wins. Here are the top benefits of fostering a psychologically safe environment: 

• Creative workers engaged in innovation and growth: Innovation often fails because of a lack of cooperation or buy-in. Psychological safety serves as a bridge, helping team members feel comfortable sharing ideas and identifying problems. This openness leads to higher success rates when implementing new operational processes or managing change.  

• Learning from mistakes: Teams that aren’t afraid of being punished for mistakes are more likely to report them. This creates a positive cycle where more errors are detected and addressed. Openly discussing errors as learning moments encourages others to share their challenges. This helps the whole team improve and address risks rather than hiding them.  

• Improved employee engagement: When the perceived risk of speaking up is low, engagement is high. Employees who feel safe are more likely to voice their thoughts and opinions, which directly leads to greater investment and engagement in their daily work. 

By building a culture where team members aren’t afraid to be themselves, you’re not just improving morale, you’re futureproofing your business. 

Looking to better understand how psychologically safe your organization is? 

Our health and safety software, online safety training, and HR consulting services can help. Our health and safety and HR packages are conveniently priced to meet the needs and budgets of organizations in any industry. 

Get started now with our Ontario Health and Safety Program Planning Guide. Start improving your safety program today with actionable insights from our experts. 

DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE HERE 

Or check out these blogposts for more information on trending health and safety topics in Canada: 

• How to Conduct a Workplace Risk Assessment 

• What Are Employers’ Responsibilities for Workplace Health and Safety? 

• Safety and Health Week: Creating Safer Workplaces