If there’s a buzzword in performance psychology, it is psychological safety. Practitioners working with NFL teams down to youth organizations are talking about it, and more importantly, working to create it.
Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll discuss what psychological safety is, why it is important, how we can build it, and the practical implications of doing so. Stay tuned as I think this is the buzzword for its reason (read: it’s important).
In this week’s 3 Points, I’ll discuss what psychological safety is and is not, why it matters, and ask a few questions to reflect on where your organization is.
1. Psychological safety was originally introduced by then Harvard Business School professor Dr. Amy Edmondson and she defines it as:
A belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for interpersonal risk-taking.
Interpersonal risks can look like speaking up with a new idea, asking questions, raising concerns, or making a mistake. Essentially, do team members feel safe to take risks and be vulnerable in front of others? Edmondson’s work was intended for the world of business and has since shifted into high-performance sporting environments due to internal research at Google, titled Project Aristotle. Google, which largely operates in teams, sought to understand what makes a team at Google effective. They concluded that psychological safety was the most important factor to a team at Google being effective.
Sport psychologist Mustafa Sarkar also adds that Edmondson’s work, “differentiates between psychological safety and the notion of trust. She also differentiates between psychological safety and just being nice. That’s not what psychological safety is about. It’s not about lowering standards or just being nice and pleasant.”
2. Here’s why this matters:
Risk-taking is an essential aspect of performance.
If there are no risks being taken because the athlete does not feel safe then there is unlikely to be any meaningful development. - Dr. Mustafa Sarkar
Without psychological safety, athletes will avoid taking risks. Without risk, or the ability for an athlete to put themselves out there, to try something new or innovative, sustained high performance (and well-being) is unlikely to occur. Without the sense of safety to take risks, I believe we create robots. Robots that are trained to not make mistakes.
3. Take stock of your team. Reflect on your answers to these questions*.
If a player/coach makes a mistake, do I hold it against them?
Are members of this team are able to bring up problems and tough issues?
Are members of the team sometimes rejected for being different?
Is it safe to take a risk on this team?
Is it difficult to ask other members of this team for help?
Would members of your team say their unique skills and talents are valued and utilized?
*Questions altered from Amy Edmonson.
Now that we know what it is, and hopefully where our team stands, stay tuned in the new year as I’ll discuss how we as leaders can cultivate it for our players and staff.