Google's Project Aristotle found that psychological safety was the number one predictor of high-performing teams. But what is it?
It's the belief that you won't be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes.
How to Foster It
- Admit your own fallibility: Leaders should model vulnerability.
- Encourage participation: Actively invite input from everyone in meetings.
- Respond productively to failure: Treat mistakes as learning opportunities, not reasons for blame.
Technology's Role in Psychological Safety
Anonymous feedback mechanisms in 360-degree performance appraisals allow employees to share honest feedback without fear of retaliation. When combined with goal management and OKR tracking, teams can focus on outcomes rather than blame.
AI-powered attrition prediction can also help identify teams where psychological safety may be low by detecting patterns in engagement data and turnover trends.