Psychological Safety can make or break a team. To drive culture change people must feel safe to speak up and share their best ideas. Collective trust allows organizational development and accelerates teamwork and leadership.

1. Psychological Safety:
How to build a powerful Culture
Gustavo Razzetti – Chicago, November 21, 2018

2. Our jobs are full of warning lights.

3. What I Will Cover
Psychological Safety fundamentals
Methods to develop Psychological Safety
Discussion and Q&A

4. W h a t m a k e s o r b r e a k s
a t e a m ?

5. G o o g l e – P r o j e c t A r i s t o t l e : h o w
c a n w e b u i l d t h e p e r f e c t t e a m ?
• The best talent working together?
• A mix of specific personality types or skills or
backgrounds ?
• Gender & ethnicity balance?
• Consensus versus disagreement?

6. Psychological Safety
The belief that
your culture or team are safe
for interpersonal risk-taking.

7. "We are almost hardwired
to be worried about the impression
we make on others.”
—Amy Edmondson, professor, Harvard Business
School

8. People are afraid of speaking up
Will I be able to share my opinions?
Will people listen to me?
Will they respect my ideas?
Will they laugh at me or criticize what I say?
Will I get fired If I say what I think?

9. P s y c h o l o g i c a l S a f e t y i s a c o l l e c t i v e
o u t c o m e — i t ’ s e n a b l e d b y t h e w h o l e t e a m
IndividualßàIndividual IndividualßàTeam
TRUST PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY

11. Exercise:
Remember the last time you
were rejected.
H o w d i d y o u f e e l ?

12. C u l t u r e i s t h e b e h a v i o r
w e r e w a r d a n d p u n i s h .

13. E v e r y e m p l o y e e i s a s e n s o r .

14. Psychological Safety promotes
diversity of thinking

15. Safe
=
Don’t feel threatened
≠
Comfortable
Creating a High-Trust,
High-Performance Culture

16. T h e b e n e f i t s o f f e e l i n g s a f e
Source: The Science of Creating High-Performing Teams, 2017

17. How to engage quiet people?
In most collaborative teams, the
bulk of the work comes from a
minority of participants.

18. “In Google’s fast-paced, highly demanding
environment, our success hinges on the
ability to take risks and be vulnerable in front
of peers.”
–Paul Santagata, Head of Industry at Google

19. T h r e e c o r e p r i n c i p l e s o f
P s y c h o l o g i c a l S a f e t y
1. Conversational turn-taking
2. Social sensitivity
3. Vulnerability to experiment

20. Psychological Safety Methods
Quick-wins
Excite the team
Long-term impact

21. 1 . M e e t i n g C h e c k - i n r o u n d
What’s got your attention?

22. 2 . N o - i n t e r r u p t i o n r u l e
Take turns.
Actively listen.
Loud and senior people, speak last.

23. 3 . C e l e b r a t e m i s t a k e s a n d t a k i n g
r i s k s
What have you done differently?
What was your most recent failure?
What have you learned?

24. 4 . Anxi et y pa r t y
What’s keeping you awake at night?
Sort your anxieties.
All members share their own.
Prioritization and alignment.

25. 5 . T r a n s p a r e n t t o w n h a l l m e e t i n g s
Questions are upvoted—Spotify
The question box –UKTV

26. 7 . L e t t i n g g o o f c o n t r o l : t r e a t i n g
p e o p l e a s g r o w n - u p s
Unlimited vacation—Netflix
Work from home.
Not coming to work? Just Slack us.

27. 8 . E n c o u r a g i n g A u t o n o m y
Eliminating annual performance reviews—GE
Self-selected Teams –Nomad 8
Teams establish own salaries—SEMCO

28. H o w t o i m p l e m e n t P s y c h o l o g i c a l
S a f e t y
• Behaviors, not words
• Start small & test different methods
• Lead by example
• Under-promise and over-deliver
• Measure Psychological Safety

29. Thank You!
E v e r y p e r s o n i s a s e n s o r .
P s y c h o l o g i c a l S a f e t y m a k e s
t e n s i o n s v i s i b l e s o w e c a n p a y
a t t e n t i o n .
h t t p s : / / l i b e r a t i o n i s t . o r g

30. W a n t t o B u i l d P s y c h o l o g i c a l
S a f e t y a t y o u r O r g a n i z a t i o n ?
R e a c h o u t :
g u s t a v o @ l i b e r a t i o n i s t . o r g
l i b e r a t i o n i s t . o r g
b l o g . l i b e r a t i o n i s t . o r g