The Importance of Psychological Safety in Team Development

Abstract

The concept of psychological safety was introduced over twenty years ago by Edmonson. It entails the creation of a safe space where the individual members of a team can express their ideas and concerns in the workplace, knowing that they will be listened to and not judged. When Team Psychological Safety (TPS) is achieved, a sense of interpersonal trust is developed among the teammates, which leads to better outcomes. The importance of TPS lies in the benefits that it brings to the overall team performance. Reducing the fear of taking risks, increases the innovation potential of a team. Likewise, trust and openness lead to more active and effective communication. Once the main benefits are identified, two main issues arise i) how is TPS achieved and; ii) when does it emerge?

The first issue is explored by conducting a literature review with a view to understanding the nature of TPS, as well as the qualitative and quantitative assessments of the same. The latter is addressed by exploring Tuckman’s Model of Team Development. This model is widely recognized and referenced, where five stages are identified are: forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. The present work analyzes the aforementioned stages of team development from a psychological safety point of view. The case, in which a newly created team is formed, will address where and how TPS is sparked, as well as its role and evolution through the stages of team development. Lastly, new strategies will be proposed for leaders to promote the development of TPS in the early stages, creating a supportive work environment.