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The Silent Killer of Team Success: Lack of Psychological Safety
Think about the last time you worked in a group that didn’t trust each other. How did that affect collaboration? Did people hold back, hesitate to speak up, or avoid taking risks? That’s what happens when psychological safety is missing — and when it’s absent, you don’t have a true team.
Psychological safety, coined by Harvard professor Amy Edmondson, refers to an environment where people feel safe to take interpersonal risks — like speaking up, admitting mistakes, or offering feedback — without fear of punishment or humiliation. It’s the bedrock of trust, and without it, teams can’t thrive.
Here’s what happens to teams that lack psychological safety:
- They don’t collaborate effectively. Without trust, team members hesitate to share ideas or collaborate freely.
- They don’t provide honest feedback. Fear of retaliation or embarrassment makes people hold back.
- They don’t feel comfortable. The atmosphere becomes one of tension, where people walk on eggshells.
- They resist change. When people feel unsafe, they’re less likely to embrace new ideas or innovate.
The outcome? A team that feels psychologically unsafe can’t perform well, no matter how skilled or experienced its members are.
