Psychological safety: a much underestimated success factor within a team

Less than 50% of people feel secure enough to be themselves at work, to admit to mistakes and to address difficult topics (1, 2). People with poor mental health in particular are less forthcoming when it comes to openly approaching their line managers and colleagues (1). One of the reasons for this negative trend is a low level of psychological safety within teams (2). Psychological safety describes a collective sense of security in being able to speak up without the risk of being shamed by others (3). This includes admitting to mistakes, expressing a different opinion or addressing difficulties without fear of negative consequences.

What makes teams psychologically safe?
Psychological safety within teams involves a total of four aspects (4):

• Mutual support and cooperation
• Inclusion of diversity
• Constructive attitude towards risks and errors
• Open communication

Being willing to support other team members is essential for success collaboration. Considering the current pressures faced by other team members and the resources they have – and planning this well – helps to improve team cohesion and prevent individuals from burning out. Diversity inclusion refers to making all team members feel valued and accepted, regardless of their background or expertise. When differences are seen as a benefit and are consciously embraced, individuals are more likely to share their opinions and ideas with other team members. A constructive attitude to risks and mistakes means creating a culture where mistakes are seen as human and are openly shared within the team so that everyone can learn from them. This is key to building high-performing and innovative teams that are able to strike a balance between taking risks and achieving success. Open communication exists when contributions from team members can be recognised and the status quo can be questioned. This is not about convincing others of your own opinion, but about accepting and appreciating different perspectives.

Psychological safety is also clearly different from trust within a team. Trust is with reference to another person and expectations of their behaviour, while psychological safety refers to the whole team and a belief in shared principles and norms.

Managers also need to play their part
An important factor in creating a psychologically safe working environment is how managers behave. Managers who embody and put into practice the four aspects of psychological safety in their day-to-day leadership activities act as role models for others to learn from. Team members are therefore encouraged to adhere to these standards and to apply them to their own behaviour (5). Penalising mistakes or making fun of contributions by others, on the other hand, has a very negative impact on building a psychologically safe team, as members will feel that next time, it is better that they do not say anything.

In addition, managers often overestimate the level of psychological safety in teams below them, especially the higher they move up the hierarchical levels. A lack of dialogue with employees at all hierarchical levels can lead to managers who do not openly admit to their own mistakes, do not actively ask for other opinions and react constructively to them, and so move into an echo chamber that merely reinforces their own perspective (6).

Psychological security as a driver of performance, innovation and wellbeing
Psychological safety is considered to be a key factor in creating high-performing and innovative teams and healthy working environments. More open communication and frequent learning from each other in psychologically safe teams improves both performance and help teams come up with and implement ideas (3, 7). At the same time, psychological safety helps protect employees’ mental health by reducing exhaustion, stress and depression and contributes to greater wellbeing (8, 9).

Psychological safety is also crucial when it comes to motivation and loyalty to the company. According to a global BCG study, the risk of employees changing jobs falls significantly from 12% to 3% within a year when motivation, satisfaction and belonging increase (10). Companies can benefit from establishing a sense of psychological safety at an early stage during the onboarding process. Clear communication, mentoring and regular feedback in the first quarter lay the foundation for the engagement, sense of belonging and long-term retention of new employees (11).

Conclusion
Psychological safety facilitates open communication, mutual support and a constructive approach to errors. This not only increases team performance, but also strengthens the mental wellbeing of individual members. A psychologically safe team can be an effective protective factor, especially in complex and demanding work environments. Managers have a key role to play here: by setting an example and actively promoting psychological safety, they create the basis for engagement and long-term employee retention. Anyone who takes psychological safely seriously not only invests in better teamwork, but also in the future viability of the entire company.

Sources:

1. World of Work Institute (2025). A white paper: The business case for belonging. How psychological safety drives engagement, wellbeing, and performance.
2. Neser, D., Lushington, K., Zadow, A., Potter, R., Parkin, A., Richter, S., Pignata, S., Afsharian, A., Bakker, A., Dollard, M.F. (2023). Work, Digital Stress and Wellbeing Survey Report.
3. Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams.
4. Edmondson, A. (2018). The Fearless Organization
5. Laloo, E., Coman, R., Hanley, N., Bakand, S. (2023). The impact of leadership on the psychosocial safety climate of organizations: A scoping review of the international literature
6. Tagesanzeiger (11.09.2025). Abgehobene Chefs und verunsicherte Mitarbeitende: Was Fehlverhalten in Firmen begünstigt.
7. Jin, H., Peng, Y. (2024). The impact of team psychological safety on employee innovative performance: a study with communication behavior as a mediator variable.
8. Amoadu, M., Ansah, E., Sarfo, J. (2024). Preventing workplace mistreatment and improving workers’ mental health: A scoping review of the impact of psychological safety climate.
9. Marenus, M., Marec, M., Chen, W. (2022). Association of Workplace Culture of Health and Employee Emotional Wellbeing
10. BCG (2024). Psychological Safety Levels the Playing Field for Employees
11. Hartley, M. (2024). Enhancing employee engagement and retention: the critical role of psychological safety in the onboarding process