Summary
The highest-performing teams have one thing in common: psychological safety — the shared belief that no one on the team will embarrass or punish anyone else for admitting a mistake, asking a question, or offering a new idea. Studies show that psychological safety allows for moderate risk-taking, speaking your mind, creativity, and collaboration — just the types of behavior that lead to successful products and services. Creating psychological safety in a workplace - although at times a challenge - can be done. This interactive talk will present the key action steps that DesignOps professionals can immediately take to boost psychological safety in their design teams and create psychological safety between cross-functional teams.
Key Insights
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Psychological safety is critical for team effectiveness and performance.
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Safety is a state of the nervous system that affects our ability to think and innovate.
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Fostering connection among team members is essential to create a safe working environment.
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Individuals have unique triggers that affect their sense of safety in the workplace.
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Co-regulation involves helping each other feel safe and can contribute to team bonding.
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Google's Project Aristotle found that high psychological safety was a key factor in team effectiveness.
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Leaders must create protective structures to ensure team members feel safe to share vulnerabilities.
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Creating specific team agreements can help establish a sense of safety.
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Remote work can amplify existing workplace dynamics, whether positive or negative.
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Building psychological safety requires continuous effort and engagement from all team members.
Notable Quotes
"Safety is a state of our nervous system."
"When we're in a mobilized state, we literally can't think."
"Connection is synonymous with safety for our nervous system."
"Psychological safety is the number one factor determining team effectiveness."
"If I make a mistake on our team, it's not going to be held against me."
"We have to create a space where there is help to get back up the ladder."
"Being human means we go up and down the ladder; our goal isn't to prevent this but to facilitate it."
"The body keeps the score - traumatic experiences are physically encoded in our body."
"Creating safety means having real conversations about what helps people feel safe."
"Work gets done in connected relationships."
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