During a vigorous panel discussion held in Chicago that centered around workplace productivity, an interesting contrast arose between the role of pressure in driving goal achievement and the concept of psychological safety. One of the panelists suggested that a safe environment may not necessarily lead to high productivity levels. This discussion raised a question: Does psychological safety contribute to or hinder peak productivity? In this article, our goal is to dispel some misconceptions surrounding psychological safety. We firmly believe that fostering a safe environment promotes overall workplace productivity. It revolves around creating a culture where all voices are respected and open communication is encouraged, ultimately leading to fluency in teamwork, enhanced creativity, and improved performance.

"The group norms are more important than any individual leader's ideas. Teams succeed when everyone feels like they can speak up and when members show they are sensitive to how one another feels."- Charles Duhigg

The following arguments aim to provide a better understanding of psychological safety:

• Psychological safety does not imply compromising performance standards, as some might assume. Instead, it fosters an atmosphere where high standards are upheld while encouraging honesty, constructive challenges, and collaboration. In a workspace, team members can address mistakes openly, share innovative ideas without hesitation, and effectively collaborate towards achieving high performance.

• Psychological safety is more than a feel-good factor: Some may dismiss it as making people feel good. Its impact extends far beyond that. It plays an operational role that significantly influences team dynamics, learning, innovation, and performance. Teams prioritizing safety are more likely to unlock the potential of their members, leading to improved decision-making, problem-solving, and overall outcomes.

• Psychological safety does not contradict accountability. In reality, psychological safety and accountability can coexist harmoniously. In these environments, individuals feel secure enough to speak up, take risks, and learn from mistakes while being responsible for their actions and contributions toward achieving the team objectives.

• Psychological safety is not about avoiding conflict. It is often misunderstood that safe environments are free of conflict. In truth, psychological safety allows for conflict resolution. It enables teams to engage in debates and disagreements, which is essential for challenging ideas and fostering innovation. In these environments, conflicts are resolved respectfully and productively rather than being ignored or suppressed.

• Psychological safety is more than a stress-free environment. We believe that pressure and psychological safety can coexist. Under certain circumstances, pressure can be motivating and necessary for achieving peak performance. The key is to create a culture where individuals can handle pressure or stress without fearing humiliation or negative consequences when admitting mistakes, asking questions, or presenting ideas.

• Psychological safety extends beyond the responsibility of leadership. While we believe that leadership plays a fundamental role, it is an effort involving every team member. Through their actions, words, and responses to others, each individual contributes to creating an environment of safety. Cultivating such a culture requires the participation and commitment of everyone involved.

• Psychological safety does not favor introverts or extroverts. Instead, it revolves around establishing a climate where all individuals feel empowered to express themselves and contribute freely regardless of their personality type. In an environment like this, even people who are typically reserved, such as introverts, feel just as comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns as those who are naturally more outspoken, like extroverts.

• There is a distinction between psychological safety and trust. Although trust and psychological safety have similarities, they are different concepts. Trust generally refers to having faith in someone's reliability, ability, or character. On the other hand, psychological safety pertains more to group dynamics and feeling secure enough to take interpersonal risks. It is possible to trust someone while still not feeling psychologically safe enough to express dissenting opinions in their presence.

• Psychological safety requires commitment. Building safety in a workplace is not a quick fix; it is something that takes time to accomplish. It demands dedication and commitment from everyone within the organization. Creating a safe environment requires open communication and a willingness to adapt and adjust our behaviors. The process of building such an environment is gradual and evolves over time.

• Psychological safety goes beyond being nice to coworkers. It entails establishing an environment where individuals feel at ease expressing their thoughts, concerns, and feedback without fearing punishment or ridicule. It fosters open conversations, productive disagreements, and the free exchange of ideas. When team members can respectfully challenge each other's perspectives, it paves the way for problem-solving and innovation.

In this article, we tried to debunk numerous misconceptions. We showed that psychological safety is not merely about avoiding conflict or stress, nor does it depend on specific personality traits or fall solely on the shoulders of leadership. Instead, psychological safety fosters an environment where everyone feels at ease expressing their thoughts, sharing ideas, and taking calculated risks while upholding standards and accountability. It's important to note that psychological safety isn't a fix but an ongoing process that requires continuous effort from the entire team. By understanding and nurturing psychological safety, organizations can unlock the potential of their workforce, leading to increased creativity, effective collaboration, and improved performance. We would love to hear from you about other misconceptions surrounding psychological safety.