This document summarizes the key findings from a world-first study on psychological safety in the Australian workplace conducted by R U OK? and Professor Amy Edmondson from Harvard Business School. The study found that only 23% of lower-income frontline employees felt their workplace was psychologically safe, compared to 45% of higher-income employees. Professor Edmondson provides further commentary on several questions from the study related to making mistakes at work, asking for help from colleagues, feeling safe to take risks at work, utilizing unique skills and talents, and accepting differences among colleagues. She emphasizes the importance of psychological safety for innovation, learning, and high performance.

1. THE AUSTRALIAN
WORKPLACE
PSYCHOLOGICAL
SAFETY SURVEY

2. BACKGROUND
Professor Amy Edmondson from Harvard
Business School defines psychological safety as
“A team climate characterized by interpersonal
trust and mutual respect in which people are
comfortable being themselves.”
In her TED talk she explains why psychological
safety is critical for agile, fast learning, and
resilient teams.
Google’s research of its own workforce revealed
that psychological safety was the most important
team norm for high-performing innovative
workplaces.
Professor Amy Edmondson
Harvard Business School

3. WORLD-FIRST STUDY INTO WORKPLACE
PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY
R U OK? commissioned* a world-first study into psychological safety in the
workplace. It is the first time a country’s whole workforce has been evaluated.
The Australian Workplace Psychological Safety Survey canvassed 1,176 Australian
employees and found that only 23 per cent of lower income-earning frontline
employees felt their workplace was “psychologically safe” to take a risk, compared to
45 per cent of workers on significantly higher incomes.
Detailed results and commentary by Professor Edmondson follow.
MORE INFORMATION
See the R U O K? Video – Why mental resilience should be on every CEO’s agenda
Graeme Cowan, Board Director, R U OK? – graeme@graemecowan.com.au
Brendan Maher, CEO, R U OK? – brendan@ruok.org.au
* Research Conducted by Colmar Brunton, the survey was based on an independent online survey of
1,176 Australian full-time and part-time employees across all states and territories in March, 2017.

4. MISTAKE
at WORK
If you make a
IT'S OFTEN HELD AGAINST YOU
OTHER
56%
MISTAKES
LESS CONCERNED
WILL BE HELD AGAINST ME
MALE
44%
FEMALE
56%
BY AGE
MOST CONCERNED
0
10
20
30
40
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
DISAGREE OR
STRONGLY
DISAGREE
44%

5. Professor Amy Edmondson
Harvard Business School
• Studying psychological safety is incredibly important
because it gets to the heart of innovation.
• In fast moving environments, breakthroughs happen
through trying many things and making mistakes –
before finding what works.
• When I work with clients I strive for a minimum 70%
“Strongly disagreeing” or “Disagreeing” with this
statement.
• It's very worrying and counterproductive for a
“mistake” to held against you, and a cultural mindset
like this will lead to people being reluctant to propose
new ideas.
• It was intriguing why women were less concerned
about making mistakes, and that this warrants
additional insights and research.
• Whilst it isn’t unusual for younger workers to feel
more insecure, she explained that they are often at
the front line, and efforts should be made address
their concern.

6. FOR HELP
IT'S DIFFICULT TO ASK MY COLLEAGUES
OTHER
38%
DISAGREE OR
STRONGLY DISAGREE
62%
% of those who
agreed by age
group
FOR HELP
ask my
colleagues
IT'S DIFFICULT TO
0
5
10
1518-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
20
25

7. Professor Amy Edmondson
Harvard Business School
• Team, cross department, and external
collaboration has increased dramatically
because of the digital revolution.
• It is critical that people feel safe and
willing to ask their colleagues inside and
outside the organisation for help.
• High performing teams and organisations
should be striving for at least 80% of
employees “Strongly disagreeing” or
“Disagreeing” with this statement.

8. AGREE
34%
OTHER
66%
A RISK
IT'S SAFE TO TAKE
AT WORK
YES
OF THOSE WHO SAID
BY GENDER
MALE
53%
FEMALE
47%
YES
OF THOSE WHO SAID
BY LOCATION
REGIONAL
42%
METRO
58%
YES
OF THOSE WHO SAID YES
BY INCOME
0
10
20
30
40
50
$156K
+
$104-$156K$78K
-$104K
$52K
-$78K
U
nder$52K
YES
OF THOSE WHO SAID YES
EDUCATION
0
10
20
30
40
YEA
R
10/TR
A
D
E
D
IPLO
M
A
/C
ER
T
D
EG
R
EE
O
R
A
B
O
VE

9. Professor Amy Edmondson
Harvard Business School
• Although much of my earlier work was undertaken in
hospitals, I am hesitant to use this question where
physical safety is critical such as mining,
construction, and health care.
• For most organisations operating in the information
or digital economy, this question is critical to try new
things, learn quickly and continually improve. For
example, Facebook has as one of its founding values
“move fast and break things”.
• I recommend that my clients strive for 70% "Strongly
Agreeing" or "Agreeing" with this statement.
• Google has identified psychological safety as their
most important team norm for high performance. They
have found that by everyone sharing a risk they have
taken in the last week at their team meeting is the
fastest way to improve psychological safety.
• The design company IDEO has 90% of its employees
strongly agreeing or agreeing with this statement.

10. COLLEAGUES
WORKING WITH MY
MY UNIQUE SKILLS AND
TALENTS ARE UTILISED
AGREE or
STRONGLY AGREE
64%
OTHER
36%
Only 50% for those on $52k or less per year agreed
or strongly agreed with this statement

11. Professor Amy Edmondson
Harvard Business School
• High performing teams and organisations
should be striving for 80% "Strongly agreeing"
or "Agreeing" with this statement.
• The benefits to individual and teams that are
able to use their top strengths each day is
compelling. For example, Gallup research
shows that if people use their top 5 strengths
everyday they are 600% more likely to be
engaged at work and 300% more likely to report
high life satisfaction.
• The message for teams is equally strong.
According to other Gallup research, if
individuals within a team strongly agree with
this statement: “At work I have the opportunity
to do what I do best each day” the team has
been shown to be 30% more likely to be highly
productive, 44% more likely to earn high
customer satisfaction scores, and 50% more
likely to have high employee retention.

12. REJECT OTHERS FOR
MY WORK COLLEAGUES OFTEN
BEING DIFFERENT
OTHER
42%
DISAGREE or
STRONGLY DISAGREE
58%
MY WORK COLLEAGUES
OFTEN REJECT OTHERS FOR
BEING DIFFERENT
% OF THOSE WHO AGREED
BY AGE GROUP
0
5
10
15
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
20
25

13. Professor Amy Edmondson
Harvard Business School
• In a supportive and psychologically safe team
environment, people feel comfortable to be
themselves. This in one of the main findings
from Google’s Project Aristotle into their high
performing team.
• If employees feel cared for, no matter who they
are, they will feel more engaged and
productive. For example, Gallup research
shows that the more people that “Strongly
agree” with this statement “My supervisor or
someone at work, seems to care about me as a
person” – the higher the profit, productivity
levels, customer service rating, and the longer
employees stay with the company.

14. WOULD DELIBERATELY
NONE OF MY COLLEAGUES
UNDERMINE MY EFFORTS
METRO RESPONSE REGIONAL RESPONSE
AGREE or
STRONGLY AGREE
56%
Other
44%
OTHER
36%
AGREE or
STRONGLY AGREE
64%

15. R U OK? is an Australian suicide prevention charity. Our mission is to
inspire and empower everyone to meaningfully connect with the people
around them and to support anyone struggling with life. We’re most
well-known for our national day of action, R U OK? Day, on the second
Thursday in September (14 September 2017).
We also have campaigns to inspire connection throughout the year,
including R U OK? at Work, R U OK? Afield and R U OK? School.
For more information
www.ruok.org.au