Dashboard Metric: Psychological Safety Score
What is it?
Psychological Safety is the shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking. A concept in existence since the 1960s, Harvard Business School Professor, Dr. Amy Edmonson, coined the term in the 1990’s, studying its impact on team performance. Google, in a separate study known as Project Aristotle, found psychological safety to be #1 driver to high-performing teams.
Why does it matter?
Have you ever been so afraid to fail that your fear actually caused you to fail? Whether because you reacted too slowly or feared looking foolish – today you likely wonder how would it have ended up if you hadn’t been fearful. A team fearing failure lacks psychological safety, a perception that ultimately jeopardizes greatness. Scores are calculated using the seven factors of psychological safety and can range from -100% to +100%.
When it’s good….
Higher psychological safety scores reflect a team that views missteps as natural obstacles in the journey to success. Generally, these teams will work more creatively, collaboratively, and support one another in in an effort to solve big problems or achieve great results.
When it’s not-so-good….
Lower psychological safety scores reflect teams that fear making mistakes – either fearing formal repercussions such as disciplinary action taken by the company or social consequence like being viewed as incompetent by colleagues and company leaders. Although a certain level of caution can be healthy to deter teams from reckless behavior such as overspending or investing company time and resources on projects not aligned with company priorities, inordinantly low psychological safety scores suggest a team working to avoid trouble rather than working to drive success. Jockeying to be the best on the team versus advocating for the best solution can lead to silos. People hoarding information, where each member of the team attempts to solve for the same issue, fails to leverage the power of collaboration.
Want to learn more about your team’s psychological safety score trends? Request a personalized, interactive session to review your team’s feedback.
Get started with TeamEthos today!
Unlock your team's potential with four valuable insights.
Today's modern workplace depends on the work of teams. A company's ability to increase revenue, manage expenses, retain customers, or launch new products all depend on how individuals come together to connect and work, as a team.
TeamEthos is a daily mindfulness practice for teams, helping them connect in a more meaningful way....in-turn creating more meaningful results.
TeamEthos
What do lucky people & high-performing teams have in common? According to research - mindset also known as ethos. How we feel dictates what we do (and how well we do it).
Psychological Safety
Studies show psychological safety to be the #1 driver of high-performing teams. How does your team perceive taking risks?
Mindfulness
A growing body of research shows mindfulness improves job satisfaction, critical thinking, and emotional resilience, and wellbeing. What does your team's dedication to mindfulness suggest?
Team Concerns
Learn the concerns weighing on the minds of the team and the extent to which they are stifling the team's optimal mindset - conducive to good work.