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Psychological Safety: An Imperative for High-Performing Teams

Some of business’s greatest innovations originated from people willing to think out of the box and take a gamble on an “unlikely” idea.  Unfortunately, most of us find it a challenge to be open, think creatively, and take risks for fear of being criticized, judged, or even laughed at. That’s why psychological safety is a far more powerful tool than its name might suggest.     This course will help you become familiar with the elements of psychological safety and how they relate to trust, high-performing teams and innovation. You’ll also learn how to apply psychological safety in your organization through a special capstone exercise. 

Seminar Number: 02931

  • Live Online
  • At Your Company Location

Course Scheduling & Pricing

Home>Course Topic>Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging (DEI&B)>Psychological Safety: An Imperative for High-Performing Teams

About This Course

Teams perform their best when people feel safe to speak honestly, share ideas and raise concerns without fear of punishment or embarrassment. This course explores how leaders create the conditions for psychological safety through trust, communication and consistent team norms. Participants learn how to encourage safer team environments to improve collaboration and performance, especially when work is complex or fast changing.

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Who Should Attend

  • Leaders
  • Managers
  • Team Leads
  • HR professionals
  • Decision makers
  • Other stakeholders across job functions who need to create an open and accepting culture for greater success

  •   Live Online2 Day(s)
    1.2 CEU
 
 

Some of business’s greatest innovations originated from people willing to think out of the box and take a gamble on an “unlikely” idea.  Unfortunately, most of us find it a challenge to be open, think creatively, and take risks for fear of being criticized, judged, or even laughed at. That’s why psychological safety is a far more powerful tool than its name might suggest.    

This course will help you become familiar with the elements of psychological safety and how they relate to trust, high-performing teams and innovation. You’ll also learn how to apply psychological safety in your organization through a special capstone exercise. 

  • Learn what comprises psychological safety, as well as the business imperative for it 
  • Recognize the high-level science and research behind psychological safety 
  • Enhance your understanding of healthy conflict and its value in fostering psychological safety 
  • Experience how to build connection rapidly and with ease among team members 
  • Gain more skill in utilizing courageous conversations 
  • Recognize the mindsets and behaviors that impact psychological safety 
  • Review case studies of organizations with high and low levels of psychological safety 
  • Develop greater confidence creating environments that foster increased trust, belonging, and risk-taking, leading to higher levels of innovation, satisfaction, and performance 
  • Practice using interpersonal skills to develop a climate of high psychological safety 
  • Take ownership of supporting a culture of psychological safety 
  • Defining psychological safety and discussing its benefits 
  • Exploring the impact when psychological safety is not part of your team and organizational culture  
  • Learning how remote and flexible work influence psychological safety 
  • Discussing the people and business imperative for psychological safety 
  • Exploring strategies to effectively engage all voices and manage diverse perspectives 
  • Creating emotionally and socially intelligent practices to foster psychological safety 
  • Identifying the behaviors that make us feel more psychologically secure 
  • Influencing power structure drivers to develop a workplace of psychological safety  
  • Exploring 3 crucial concepts in relation to psychological safety: trust, risk and vulnerability 
  • Developing strategies for effective feedback delivery and healthy conflict management 
  • Providing feedback to positively reinforce behaviors and celebrate success 
  • Creating psychological safety in a virtual environment 
  • Capstone Activity: Taking ownership of helping to develop a culture of psychological safety

Learning Objectives

  • Define Psychological Safety and Its Core Components
  • Understand the Importance of Psychological Safety to You, Your Team, and Your Organization
  • Be Familiar with the Evidence Connecting Psychological Safety to High Performing Teams
  • Build Skills in Managing Productive Conflict and Facilitating Powerful Workplace Conversations
  • Explore How Leaders at All Levels Can Create a Climate Where Team Members Feel Safe Speaking Up
  • Identify the Steps an Organization Can Take to Develop a Culture of Psychological Safety
  • Practice Applying These Concepts to Create More Psychologically Safe Teams and Organizations

Psychological Safety and Why It Matters

  • Define Psychological Safety
  • Explore the Benefits of Psychological Safety on Individuals, Teams, and Organizations
  • Identify the Risks That Exist for Employees Speaking Up and Corresponding Power Drivers
  • Discuss the Impact of Identity on the Experience of Psychological Safety

The Science Behind Psychological Safety

  • Discuss the Major Research Findings That Gave Psychological Safety Its Running Legs
  • Identify the Physiological Reasons Why Psychological Safety Allows Talents to Thrive

Qualities that Enhance Psychological Safety

  • Explore Vulnerability, Trust, and Candor as Qualities That Enhance Psychological Safety
  • Establish the Importance of Social Emotional Intelligence in the Expression of These Qualities
  • Discuss How a Virtual and Hybrid Environment Impact Vulnerability, Trust, and Candor

Productive Conflict and Powerful Workplace Conversations

  • Explore the Difference between Productive and Unproductive Conflict
  • Employ Conflict Resolutions Strategies in Teams and One-On-One Settings
  • Identify and Practice the Core Communication Skill for Powerful Workplace Conversations

The Influence of Individual Leaders

  • Describe the Role of the Leader in Fostering Psychological Safety on Their Team
  • Consider the Relationship between Mindset and Behaviors
  • Explore Five Ways Leaders Can Promote a Culture of Psychological Safety
  • Identify Systems and Structures Local Leaders Can Implement to Support Psychological Safety on Their Team
  • Learn Strategies for Increasing Employee Confidence

Creating an Organizational Culture of Psychological Safety

  • Analyze the Drivers of Organizational Culture and Identify Strategies for Shaping a Culture of Psychological Safety
  • Be Familiar with Examples of Organizations with High Psychological Safety
  • Learn a Step-By-Step Approach for Building or Changing an Organizational Culture

Leadership Psychological Safety Exercise

  • Practice Integrating New Leadership Behaviors to Shape a New Culture of Psychological Safety
  • Prepare to Present Team Project Outcomes to Larger Group

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American Management Association is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and is accredited to issue the IACET CEU.

Live Online Schedule

3 Sessions Available

Frequently Asked Questions

What does psychological safety actually look like on a team?

On a psychologically safe team, people feel comfortable speaking up, asking questions, admitting mistakes, and offering ideas without fear of embarrassment or punishment. Psychological safety creates an environment where employees can challenge assumptions, share concerns and contribute more fully to team success.

Who should attend this psychological safety leadership course?

This program is designed for leaders, managers, team leads and HR professionals who want to build stronger, more open team environments. It is especially valuable for leaders responsible for guiding teams where collaboration, innovation and honest communication are critical to performance.

What skills will I learn in this psychological safety training?

Participants learn how to create and sustain psychological safety on their teams by encouraging open dialogue, responding constructively to mistakes and building trust within group discussions. The course focuses on practical leadership behaviors that help teams communicate more openly and collaborate more effectively.

Why do high-performing teams need psychological safety?

High-performing teams depend on honest communication and trust. When psychological safety is present, team members are more willing to share ideas, raise potential problems and collaborate openly. This leads to better decisions, stronger innovation and improved overall team performance.

I want my team to speak up more during meetings. Will this course help?

Yes. Many leaders struggle with teams that stay quiet even when they have valuable ideas. This program teaches leaders how to create the conditions for psychological safety so team members feel comfortable contributing insights, asking questions and participating more actively in discussions.

How is this course different from general leadership or team-building training?

Many leadership programs talk about communication or engagement. This course focuses specifically on psychological safety—the foundation that allows teams to communicate honestly, challenge ideas and learn from mistakes without fear.

Can psychological safety improve innovation and problem solving?

Yes. Teams with strong psychological safety are more likely to share ideas, experiment with new approaches and challenge assumptions. This openness helps teams solve problems faster and develop more innovative solutions.
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