Creating Psychological Safety in Teams to Boost Innovation and Reduce Stress
What to Consider When Reading
How does psychological safety impact a team’s ability to innovate and solve problems creatively?
What leadership habits can you implement to foster an environment where team members feel safe to contribute openly?
"The best teams don’t just work together—they think, create, and innovate together in a space where every voice is valued."
In today’s fast-paced, high-performance environments, psychological safety is the key to unlocking creativity, collaboration, and resilience. When team members feel safe to speak up, share ideas, and take risks without fear of judgment or punishment, they thrive. Research shows that teams with high psychological safety experience greater innovation, lower stress, and stronger performance (Edmondson, 1999).
At The Mental Game Clinic, we specialize in performance psychology for athletes, corporate professionals, and leaders. This blog explores how psychological safety fosters team success, reduces stress, and enhances innovation—plus practical strategies to create it.
What Is Psychological Safety?
Psychological safety is the shared belief that a team environment is safe for interpersonal risk-taking. In psychologically safe teams, individuals feel comfortable expressing opinions, admitting mistakes, and challenging ideas without fear of embarrassment or retaliation. Harvard researcher Amy Edmondson (1999) coined the term, emphasizing its importance for learning, creativity, and high performance.
Why Psychological Safety Matters
Encourages Innovation – Teams that feel safe are more likely to share bold ideas, leading to creative breakthroughs (Edmondson & Lei, 2014).
Reduces Stress and Burnout – Employees and athletes who feel heard and supported experience lower anxiety and higher resilience (Newman et al., 2017).
Enhances Team Cohesion – Psychological safety builds trust, open communication, and collaboration, fostering a more connected team.
Boosts Performance – Research shows that high-performing teams consistently rate psychological safety as a top factor for success (Google’s Project Aristotle, 2016).
Strategies to Build Psychological Safety in Your Team
1. Lead with Empathy and Vulnerability
Great leaders set the tone. By admitting mistakes and seeking feedback, leaders normalize imperfection and create an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing.
🔹 Exercise: At the start of meetings, ask, “What’s one challenge you’re facing, and how can the team support you?”
2. Promote Open Communication
Encourage a culture where every voice is valued. When people feel heard, they engage more fully.
🔹 Exercise: Use the “round-robin” method—give each team member a turn to share thoughts without interruption or criticism.
3. Reframe Failure as Learning
Shift the mindset from “failure is bad” to “failure helps us grow.” Teams that embrace failure as part of innovation take more creative risks.
🔹 Exercise: Hold a “Lessons Learned” session where the team shares mistakes and what they gained from them.
4. Recognize and Reward Contributions
Positive reinforcement strengthens trust and motivation. Acknowledge efforts, ideas, and courage to speak up.
🔹 Exercise: At the end of each week, have team members give one shout-out to a colleague who helped them.
5. Encourage Psychological Flexibility
Resilient teams can adapt to change and stay focused under pressure. Psychological flexibility—staying open to new perspectives and adjusting when needed—is key.
🔹 Exercise: Teach mindfulness techniques to help the team manage stress and stay present in high-pressure situations.
Meet Our Expert: Dr. Kelly McShane
At The Mental Game Clinic, Dr. Kelly McShane, a performance psychologist with extensive experience in sports and corporate leadership, specializes in team dynamics, resilience, and innovation psychology. His approach helps teams build trust, reduce stress, and foster a high-performance mindset.
Creating a Culture of Innovation and Resilience
Psychological safety isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity for high-performing teams in sports, business, and beyond. By fostering an environment where individuals feel safe, valued, and empowered, teams unlock creativity, confidence, and success.
Ready to enhance your team’s performance? Visit The Mental Game Clinic to learn how our experts can help build mentally strong, high-performing teams.
References
Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350-383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999
Edmondson, A., & Lei, Z. (2014). Psychological safety: The history, renaissance, and future of an interpersonal construct. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 1(1), 23-43.
Newman, A., Donohue, R., & Eva, N. (2017). Psychological safety: A systematic review of the literature. Human Resource Management Review, 27(3), 521-535.
Google’s Project Aristotle (2016). Re:Work Study on High-Performing Teams. https://rework.withgoogle.com/
