How Psychological Safety Unlocks Your Team’s Potential
By Missy Hurley, APR
November-December 2022
Every leader wants an innovative team that consistently produces its best work. It’s possible to unlock any team’s potential, regardless of skill set or training and development budget.
Psychological safety can transform a team with mediocre performance into one that is high-performing, innovative and agile. With psychological safety, the human need to be safe and belong is met, and organizations see effective teams with outstanding performance.
Amy Edmondson, author of “The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation and Growth,” defines the term as a shared belief held by team members that it’s safe for interpersonal risk-taking. In this environment, it is safe to speak up without fear of punishment, embarrassment or retaliation, and individuals behave authentically.
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Missy Hurley, APR
Missy Hurley, APR, is co-founder and principal at B2 Communications, a St. Petersburg, Fla.-based communications firm. She serves on the Counselors Academy executive committee.
