Psychological safety is a shared belief among team members that it is safe to take interpersonal risks, for example, to speak up, share ideas, or admit mistakes without fear of retribution, humiliation, or harsh criticism. The concept was first defined by Amy Edmondson, Professor at Harvard Business School.

Psychological safety does not mean that everyone must always agree or avoid difficult conversations. It does not encourage false harmony or unearned praise. Instead, it allows for candour, constructive disagreement, and the free exchange of ideas.

When psychological safety is present, everyone’s voice matters. People feel encouraged to ask questions, raise concerns, and offer new perspectives. Edmondson used “the soil, not the seed” as a metaphor for the environment that allows learning and growth to happen.

In organisations with high psychological safety, good things happen:
· Mistakes are reported quickly, allowing for rapid corrective action.
· Collaboration across teams and departments becomes seamless.
· Innovative, game-changing ideas are shared rather than hidden.

I think psychological safety is therefore not a “soft” concept, it is a strategic source of value creation in complex, fast-changing environments where learning, adaptability, and innovation are essential. What do you think?

Beliefs, whether based on fact or fiction, are human inventions that help us make sense of ourselves and the world. Neuroscience research demonstrates that training and positive reinforcement can change people’s minds and behaviours. When we tell people what to do, we engage only their short-term cognitive memory, and as a result, they often forget much of the information, and it rarely leads to meaningful behavioural change. For instance, consider how many things you know you should be doing but haven’t acted on. Knowledge alone doesn’t transform our perception of ourselves or the world. Coaching is different. It facilitates long-term behavioural change by helping the brain rewire. I think as a person’s neural pathways evolve, their self-image and worldview shift, which in turn drives new behaviours. This lasting transformation is something that simple instructions cannot achieve.

““It’s hard to learn when you already know.””

— Amy Edmondson

What is psychological safety?

Powerful reinforcements