Overview

Psychological safety is the foundation of healthy teams and organizations—where people feel safe to speak up, take risks, and engage in honest dialogue. It’s also a critical factor in determining how conflict plays out: whether it leads to positive outcomes or devolves into hostility and dysfunction. When psychological safety is high, teams are more likely to engage in constructive task conflict, where members can productively share different perspectives on important issues. At the same time, team members are able to minimize process and relationship conflict that can be destructive.

Leaders play a key role in creating the conditions for psychological safety and constructive conflict management. But how can psychological safety be measured? And how can leaders cultivate it to improve the way team members handle conflict that results in increased innovation, better problem solving, and higher performance?