“Google’s data indicated that psychological safety, more than anything else, was critical to making a team work.” First introduced in a research paper by Amy Edmundson, psychological safety is defined as “as a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking,” or, more simply, “a sense of confidence that the team will not embarrass, reject, or punish someone for speaking up.” This confidence comes from team members trusting one another, learning through words and actions that it is safe to voice opinions without fear of retribution.
