When I talk about facets of organizational change enablement, I tend to steer clear of terms like psychological safety. In a culture that has grown overly therapeutic (in my opinion), I gravitate to terms that are more rooted in logic than feeling. However, cohorts of Generation Z (born between 1995 and 2012) are all about feeling. And they are obsessed with safety. So regardless of what we call it—psychological safety, respectful communication, or simply common decency—having it ingrained in corporate culture is critical for ensuring team members are focused, engaged, innovative, and productive.
Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson coined the term psychological safety. She defines it as, “A belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes.” In a recent webinar, Charles Vivian, managing director at North Highland consulting, described psychological safety as, “The extent to which team members feel safe to speak up, take risks, and bring diverse perspectives, trusting that it will not be held against them.”
