Psychological safety, a term that has become a cornerstone of modern organizational culture, has a rich history rooted in decades of research and evolving workplace dynamics. Understanding its origins and development helps us appreciate its significance in today’s high-performing teams and resilient organizations.
Mid-20th Century: The Seeds of Psychological Safety
The concept of psychological safety can be traced back to the mid-20th century. In 1954, clinical psychologist Carl Rogers first coined the term in a collection of papers on creativity, compiled by P.E. Vernon. Rogers emphasized the importance of creating conditions where individuals feel they possess “unconditional worth” and fostering an environment free from external evaluation.
In the 1960s, organizational psychologist Edgar Schein and social psychologist Warren Bennis introduced the idea into the field of management studies. They defined psychological safety as a group phenomenon that reduces interpersonal risk. In their 1965 book, Personal and Organizational Change Through Group Methods: The Laboratory Approach, Schein and Bennis described psychological safety as reducing “a person’s anxiety about being basically accepted and worthwhile”. This early work laid the groundwork for understanding how creating a safe environment can facilitate personal and organizational change.
During the same period, W. Edwards Deming, in his 14 Points for Management, emphasized the importance of reducing fear in the workplace. Point 8, “Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively for the company,” highlighted the need to eliminate fear of interpersonal risk-taking to improve business outcomes. Deming famously stated, “Wherever there is fear, there will be wrong figures,” underscoring the detrimental impact of fear on transparency and accuracy.
The 1990s: Formalizing the Concept
The term “psychological safety” was formally introduced by Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson in the 1990s. Edmondson’s groundbreaking research focused on understanding why some teams performed better than others. She discovered that the highest-performing teams were those where members felt safe to take risks and be vulnerable in front of each other. Her seminal paper, “Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams,” published in 1999, laid the foundation for the concept’s academic and practical applications.
The 2000s: Gaining Traction
In the early 2000s, the concept of psychological safety began to gain traction in the business world. Edmondson’s research highlighted the link between psychological safety and team learning, innovation, and performance. Organizations started to recognize that fostering a psychologically safe environment was crucial for encouraging open communication, creativity, and effective problem-solving.
Google’s Project Aristotle: A Turning Point
A significant milestone in the history of psychological safety came with Google’s Project Aristotle in the mid-2010s. Google conducted an extensive study to identify the key factors that made teams successful. The study, named after Aristotle’s quote “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” found that psychological safety was the most critical factor in determining team effectiveness. This finding brought psychological safety into the mainstream, highlighting its importance in creating high-performing teams.
The Present Day: A Core Component of Organizational Culture
Today, psychological safety is widely recognized as a core component of organizational culture. It is seen as essential for fostering innovation, resilience, and employee engagement. Companies across various industries have implemented practices to build and maintain psychological safety, such as open communication channels, regular feedback sessions, and inclusive leadership styles.
Dr. Timothy Clark, a renowned expert in the field, pioneered the field of data-driven cultural transformation and ranks as a global authority in senior executive development. He further enriched our understanding of psychological safety with his framework of the 4 Stages of Psychological Safety.
According to Clark, teams and organizations progress through four successive stages:
Inclusion Safety: The first stage where individuals feel safe to belong to the team. They are comfortable being present, do not feel excluded, and feel wanted and appreciated.
Learner Safety: In this stage, team members feel safe to learn through asking questions, experimenting, making mistakes, and asking for help.
Contributor Safety: Here, individuals feel safe to contribute their own ideas without fear of embarrassment or ridicule. This stage encourages active participation and sharing of ideas.
Challenger Safety: The final stage where team members feel safe to challenge the status quo, question others’ ideas, and suggest significant changes. This stage is crucial for fostering innovation and continuous improvement.
Real-World Examples of Psychological Safety in Action
Google’s Project Aristotle: As mentioned, Google’s study underscored the importance of psychological safety in team performance.
Pixar’s Braintrust Meetings: Pixar’s approach to candid feedback in a safe environment has been instrumental in producing high-quality films.
Microsoft’s Growth Mindset Culture: Under Satya Nadella’s leadership, Microsoft has embraced a culture that encourages learning from failures, which has revitalized the company’s innovation and performance.
IDEO’s Design Thinking Process: IDEO fosters psychological safety by encouraging team members to share wild ideas without fear of judgment, leading to groundbreaking innovations.
Zappos’ Open Communication: Zappos promotes a culture of open communication, maintaining high employee engagement and customer satisfaction.
The Future of Psychological Safety
As we look to the future, the importance of psychological safety is only expected to grow. With the increasing complexity of work and the rise of remote and hybrid teams, creating environments where individuals feel safe to speak up and take risks will be more critical than ever. Organizations that prioritize psychological safety will be better positioned to navigate challenges, drive innovation, and achieve sustained success.
By understanding the history and evolution of psychological safety, leaders can better appreciate its value and implement strategies to foster it within their teams. As we continue to learn and adapt, psychological safety will remain a cornerstone of high-performing, resilient organizations.
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