How to create Psychological Safety
- Author: Ryan Jenkins
Read the news article
Here are six ways to create psychological safety to re-engage and reassure today’s anxious, disengaged and lonely workforce.
Teams can be lonely places. People can feel vulnerable and exposed if they believe their teammates don’t support their ideas or appreciate their work. These interpersonal struggles intensify for remote workers who lack the support of a nodding ally across the table.
Amid the increased importance of workplace equality and allyship and the growing loneliness and isolation among virtual teams, it’s never been more critical that leaders create psychological safety among their teams.
Workers who feel that they can freely raise concerns, questions and ideas without repercussion are benefiting from psychological safety. Psychological safety pays off in increased creativity, trust and productivity among a team and is the single most important quality that determines a team’s success.
Here are six ways leaders can create psychological safety for their teams.
Psychological Safety
1. Listen to understand
Active listening is a hallmark trait of psychological safety. Too often leaders selectively listen for information that reinforces their view or strengthens their argument.
2. Speak last
When leaders share their thoughts about a topic and then ask for the team’s opinion, it’s too late.
3. Identify blind spots together
When leaders invite others into helping identify blind spots, it’s an admission to not having all the answers.
4. Productively address problems
Instead of blaming or expressing frustration when a team member brings up a problem, instead be appreciative of their insight and dedication to solving the problem.
5. Connect contributions to value
Humans have an innate desire for their contributions to be valued by the community. For centuries humans have found safety in numbers.
6. Switch video on and off
Seeing people’s faces during a video call can create engagement and provide helpful visual cues and non-verbal agreement.
Article written by Ryan Jenkins a Millennial generational speaker
However, it’s challenging for leaders to create psychological safety, because by virtue of their role they have power, and power is a barrier to psychological safety. In order to counterbalance the weight of their powerful role, leaders have to go out of their way to intentionally and strategically build psychological safety.
Speaker Listing
Further articles you may enjoy:
- (4)
Four Reasons why do most successful employees manage their Personal Brands daily? It’s simple, really. They get the concept that every time someone has contact with you at work, outside of work, or on social media, one of two things happen: your Personal Brand is either strengthened or weakened by what you say or don’t say, and by what […]
- December 18, 2022
- (13)
When audiences hear Chris Bertish speak, they don’t just listen—they lean in. From the moment he begins sharing his journey to the legendary Mavericks Big Wave Surfing Competition, there’s a palpable shift in the room. This isn’t just another motivational talk. It’s a story of grit, purpose, and the relentless pursuit of something greater than […]
- April 9, 2026
- (5)
As a keynote speaker on the topics of leadership, connection, resilience, and relationships, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about empathy versus compassion over the past year and Why Leaders Must Choose Compassion Over Empathy. In fact, in my virtual presentations on personal connection, I quickly became aware of the buzzwords associated with […]
- January 18, 2023
- (15)
Utah’s Best Keynote Speakers: Why Your Next Conference Needs a Taste of the Beehive State! There’s something about Utah that’s magical—not just the scenic landscapes or the endless outdoor adventures but also the growing roster of incredible keynote speakers who call the Beehive State home. Planning a conference? These Utah-based speakers bring a unique blend […]
- November 13, 2024
- (3)
Understanding the Distinction: Customer Experience vs. Customer Service with Dan Gingiss. In today’s competitive marketplace, businesses often tout their “excellent customer service” as a hallmark of their brand. However, what many fail to recognize is that customer service is only one facet of a much broader and increasingly crucial discipline: customer experience (CX). While Understanding […]
- April 21, 2025
- (13)
Diversity training is valuable for increasing inclusion and fostering a more positive work environment. But not all diversity training is created equal. In order to be effective, diversity training should include certain key elements that can benefit your participants and your organization as a whole. For example, many organizations focus exclusively on race or ethnicity […]
- January 10, 2023
- (4)
Power-Ups That Will Help You Reach the Next Level There is something nostalgic about playing video games. With most games, your objectives involve jumping over obstacles, dodging enemy attacks, and collecting the power-ups you’ll need to advance. In real life, stepping on turtles and eating random mushrooms is never a good idea. Still, these video […]
- May 4, 2023
- (6)
10 Lessons Learned and the messages I want to share with all of you. At the end of last year, I made the awkward decision to leave the world that had given so much to me, to pursue something that wasn’t well defined, yet oddly was clearly the right path for me to take. After […]
- December 14, 2022