Creating a Safe Space for Innovation in Tech Teams

In a world where most leaders focus on individual performance, collective psychological context determines what's truly possible. According to Deloitte's 2024 study, organizations with psychologically safe environments see 41% higher innovation and 38% better talent retention. Here are three ways you can leverage psychological safety for extraordinary team results: 👉 Create "failure celebration" rituals. Publicly acknowledging mistakes transforms the risk psychology of your entire team. Design structured processes that recognize learning from setbacks as a core organizational strength. 👉 Implement "idea equality" protocols. Separate concept evaluation from originator status to unleash true perspective diversity. Create discussion frameworks where every voice has equal weight, regardless of hierarchical position. 👉 Practice "curiosity responses”. Replace judgment with genuine inquiry when challenges arise. Build neural safety by responding with questions that explore understanding before concluding. Neuroscience confirms this approach works: psychologically safe environments trigger oxytocin release, enhancing trust, creativity, and collaborative problem-solving at a neurological level. Your team's exceptional performance isn't built on individual brilliance—it emerges from an environment where collective intelligence naturally flourishes. Coaching can help; let's chat. Follow Joshua Miller #workplace #performance #coachingtips

Early in my career, I worked with two very different leaders within the same company. Under the first, team meetings were silent affairs where new ideas were often met with criticism. We stopped contributing. When I moved teams, my new manager actively encouraged input and acknowledged every suggestion, even the imperfect ones. Our productivity and innovation skyrocketed. This experience taught me the power of psychological safety. That feeling that you won't be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, or concerns. Here are three concrete ways leaders can foster psychological safety in meetings: 1. Practice "Yes, and..." thinking. Replace "That won't work because..." with "Yes, and we could address that challenge by..." This simple language shift acknowledges contributions while building on ideas rather than shutting them down. 2. Create equal airtime. Actively notice who's speaking and who isn't. Try techniques like round-robin input or asking quieter team members directly: "Alyzah, we haven't heard your perspective yet. What are your thoughts?" 3. Normalize vulnerability by modeling it. Share your own mistakes and what you learned. When leaders say "I was wrong" or "I don't know, let's figure it out together," it gives everyone permission to be imperfect. AA✨ #PsychologicalSafety #InclusiveLeadership #WorkplaceBelonging

Have you ever felt the need to bite your tongue at work, fearing that what you say could lead to punishment or humiliation? It’s a common scenario but one we need to change urgently for greater and healthier workplaces.  En español diríamos: te muerdes la lengua y te envenenas... de todo lo que tienes guardado y no has podido contar. #1:Understand What Psychological Safety Is Psychological safety, a concept introduced by Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson, is the belief that team members can take risks, express ideas and concerns, speak up with questions, and admit mistakes without fear of negative consequences. I became obsessed with it while working at Google and being a spokesperson about creating high performing teams. Remember, it’s not about being overly nice (I talked about toxic positivity last week) ; it’s about fostering authenticity and trust within the team. #2: Recognize Its Importance Psychological safety is crucial for sound decision-making, innovation, and operational efficiency. Why? Because when people feel safe, they engage more, share their creative ideas, and contribute to the team’s collective intelligence. Examples: - Imagine a team where members feel empowered to point out potential risks in a project. This openness can prevent costly errors and lead to better outcomes. - Think about a brainstorming session where no idea is too wild or far-fetched. This creates a breeding ground for groundbreaking innovations. #3: Implement Practical Steps to Foster Psychological Safety Creating a psychologically safe environment isn't a one-off task; it's an ongoing commitment. Some best practices I can recommend: - Encourage Open Communication: Make it clear that every voice matters. Regular feedback sessions and open-door policies can help. - Lead by Example: Show vulnerability as a leader. Admit your own mistakes and ask for feedback. It signals to your team that it’s okay to be human. This is the most difficult, I know. You might need your therapist to help you out. 😂 - Prioritize Employee Input: Actively seek and value your team’s input and suggestions. It demonstrates that their perspectives are essential for the company’s success. Now it’s your turn. Take these steps and start creating a safe space for your team to thrive. Let’s make it happen. What strategies have you used to foster psychological safety in your team? Share your experiences in the comments below! If you found this article helpful, don’t forget to like and share it with your network. #Leadership #TeamBuilding #PsychologicalSafety #WorkplaceCulture #Innovation

When a leader wants to create challenger safety, they need to provide air cover in exchange for the candor they're looking for. Air cover translates into emotional, social, psychological, economic, political protection. You've got to be able to provide that protection so that you can reinforce and reward their challenging behavior. Teams that don't have the air cover of challenger safety try to fake it by being quiet and nice. They don't have the conditions they need to contribute, but want to appear that they're participating, so they develop a superficial collegiality, one where they can't really debate the issues on their merits. That silence is expensive. In silence, what can you do? You just execute. There's no talk of innovation, and not only are you not innovating, you're not engaged, and some of the other hygiene factors that people are looking for at work start to erode because of that silence. Here are 5 ways you can reduce silence and create air cover on your teams: (1) Weigh in last. Speaking first when you hold positional power softly censors your team. Listen carefully, acknowledge the contributions of others, and then register your point of view. (2) Challenge your own decisions. Leaders make decisions that are right today and then wrong tomorrow. Openly discuss some of the decisions that you’ve made to demonstrate that even correct decisions aren’t correct forever. Help your team know that are willing to revisit old decisions, courses of action, and points of view. (3) Reward shots on goal. Reward your team members with recognition and enthusiasm when they attempt to challenge the status quo. Not all ideas and suggestions will have merit, but if you encourage the attempts, those shots will increase. (4) Ask for bad news. This may seem counterintuitive, but asking for bad news is a way of speeding up the process of identifying areas for experimentation and innovation. When there’s bad news, it allows us to challenge the status quo more easily because something is already broken. (5) Respect local knowledge. When you talk to one of your team members, view them as the expert. They have access to local knowledge, context, experience, and relationships that you don’t. Respect that local knowledge and be willing to solicit and circulate it throughout the team. Encouraging #psychologicalsafety isn’t easy; it requires a high level of emotional intelligence and a highly controlled ego. Arguably, a leader’s most important job — perhaps above that of creating a vision and setting strategy — is to nourish a context in which people are given air cover in exchange for candor. That’s how you create a culture of intellectual bravery.

Most companies claim they embrace failure. But walk into their Monday meetings, and watch people scramble to hide their missteps. I've seen it countless times. The same leaders who preach 'fail fast' are the first to demand explanations for every setback. Here's the uncomfortable truth:  Innovation dies in environments where people feel safer playing it safe. But there's a difference between reckless failure and strategic experimentation. Let me show you exactly how to build a culture that genuinely embraces productive failure: 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭-𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 Stop asking "Who's fault was this?" and start asking: "𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘺𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨?" "𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘴?" "𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯?" 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 '𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬' Monthly meetings where teams present their failed experiments and the insights gained. The key? Leaders must go first. Share your own failures openly, specifically, and without sugar-coating. 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 "24-𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞" After any setback, give teams 24 hours to vent/process. Then require them to present three specific learnings and two potential next steps. This transforms failure from a dead end into a data point. Most "innovative" teams are just risk-averse businesses in disguise. They've mastered innovation theater, not actual innovation. Don't let your people think they need permission to innovate. Instead, start building systems and a culture that make innovation inevitable.

Leaders, Are You Building a Safe Space or Breeding Fear? The Line Between Leadership and Bullying Here’s the hard truth: The real test of leadership is how you respond when someone disagrees with you. Do you shut them down or invite them in? Psychological safety and challenge safety are not just buzzwords—they are fundamental to creating a thriving team. If your team feels afraid to speak up or challenge your ideas, you may have a problem on your hands. ❗ Warning Signs You’re Leading Through Fear: People agree with everything you say, no matter what. You notice a lack of diverse ideas or innovation in meetings. Your team gives you the bare minimum instead of their best work. So, how can you create an environment where people feel safe to disagree? 3 Tips to Build a Culture of Psychological Safety: 🧠 Invite Dissenting Opinions: Actively ask for opposing viewpoints in meetings. Show your team that differing ideas are not just tolerated—they’re welcomed. You might be surprised at the innovative solutions that arise when you foster a space for debate. 🗣️ Listen Without Judgment: When someone disagrees, resist the urge to react defensively. Pause, listen, and ask clarifying questions. Leaders who can manage their ego and avoid defensiveness build trust and respect. 💡 Encourage “Challenge” Moments: Create dedicated times where team members are encouraged to challenge ideas, processes, or even you as the leader. This can be done in a structured, respectful manner, ensuring everyone’s voice is heard and valued. The Bottom Line? Leaders who embrace disagreement aren’t weak—they’re the ones who create environments where creativity and innovation flourish. What’s your strategy for encouraging healthy disagreements in the workplace? Drop your thoughts in the comments below! #Leadership #PsychologicalSafety #Innovation #ChallengeSafety #TeamCulture #EffectiveLeadership

HOW TO CREATE SAFE SPACES FOR UNSAFE IDEAS You hire brilliant people and tell them to innovate. Then you make it impossible for them to do so. Most companies develop an immune system that rejects new ideas like they're some kind of virus. Here are the five innovation killers you need to spot and eliminate: KILLER #1: DEMANDING CRYSTAL BALL ACCURACY You want detailed business cases for projects that are inherently uncertain. The fix: Create different approval processes for exploration vs. execution. Exploration projects get smaller budgets and you measure success by what you learn, not what you earn. KILLER #2: BEING SCARED OF EVERYTHING Your processes are designed to avoid any downside risk, which also kills any upside potential. The fix: Separate "experiments you can't afford to mess up" from "experiments you can't afford not to try." Different projects, different comfort levels with risk. KILLER #3: MAKING INNOVATION FIGHT FOR SCRAPS Innovation projects have to compete with your proven money-makers for resources. The fix: Set aside dedicated innovation resources. 10% of engineering time, 5% of budget, just for projects where you don't know what'll happen. KILLER #4: JUDGING EVERYTHING ON QUARTERLY RESULTS You evaluate innovation projects on the same timelines as your day-to-day operations. The fix: Innovation gets measured by learning cycles, not calendar quarters. Success is about insights you gain, not deadlines you hit. KILLER #5: THINKING FAILURE MEANS SOMEONE SCREWED UP You define success as "execute the original plan perfectly." The fix: Success becomes "figure out what works as fast as possible." Changing direction gets celebrated, not punished. The framework that can transform your innovation culture: EXPLORE → EXPERIMENT → EXECUTE EXPLORE PHASE: Small budget, big questions. Win = quality insights. EXPERIMENT PHASE: Medium budget, specific hunches. Win = fast validation (or fast failure). EXECUTE PHASE: Full budget, proven concept. Win = flawless delivery. Different phases, different rules, different ways to win. Companies don't lack innovative ideas. They lack innovative environments. QUESTIONS TO DIAGNOSE YOUR INNOVATION IMMUNE SYSTEM: ❓How many good ideas die in approval meetings instead of real-world tests? ❓What percentage of your "failed" projects actually teach you something valuable? ❓How long does it take to get approval for a $10K experiment vs. a $10K efficiency upgrade? ❓Do your best people feel comfortable pitching risky ideas? If your best employee came to you tomorrow with a risky but potentially game-changing idea, would they feel safe pitching it? *** I’m Jennifer Kamara, founder of Kamara Life Design. Enjoy this? Repost to share with your network, and follow me for actionable strategies to design businesses and lives with meaning. Want to go from good to world-class? Join our community of subscribers today: https://lnkd.in/d6TT6fX5 

Masculinity in Engineering: Why Safety is the Key to Inclusion Engineering has long been a male-majority profession, shaped by a culture that often prioritises technical competence, resilience, and risk-taking. While these traits can be strengths, they can also create barriers when discussing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Many male-majority teams struggle to engage with DEI, not because they don’t care, but because these conversations often feel disconnected from their work. So how do we bridge the gap? The answer lies in safety. ⛑️ Safety: A Universal Language in Engineering No matter the discipline—civil, chemical, mechanical, or electrical—safety is non-negotiable. Engineers are trained to mitigate risks and create environments where people can work without fear of harm. This mindset offers a powerful way to engage men in discussions about inclusion. Psychological safety, just like physical safety, is essential for high-performance teams. If someone doesn’t feel comfortable speaking up—whether about a design flaw or a workplace concern—risks go unnoticed, innovation suffers, and mistakes escalate. Reframing DEI as a Safety Issue When we position inclusion as a safety imperative, we change the conversation: ✅ Speaking up is a safety behaviour. Just as workers report hazards without fear of retribution, people must feel safe to challenge biases, question exclusionary practices, and raise concerns. ✅ Mental health is a safety concern. Engineering has one of the highest suicide rates, particularly among men. A culture of emotional suppression and "toughness" can have devastating consequences. By promoting psychological safety, we create workplaces where vulnerability is a necessity, not a weakness. ✅ Belonging leads to better decision-making. Diverse teams make better decisions—but only when individuals feel secure enough to contribute fully. If safety is about managing risks, then ensuring all voices are heard must be a core priority. A Way Forward If you're leading an engineering team, consider this: Would you allow an unsafe work environment to persist just because "that’s the way it’s always been"? If not, then apply the same rigour to workplace culture. Safety isn’t just about hard hats and harnesses—it’s about ensuring everyone can thrive. And when we frame inclusion through the lens of safety, we give male-majority teams a familiar and compelling reason to engage. Let’s make engineering safer—not just physically, but psychologically too. ---- ♻️ Follow Dr. Mark McBride-Wright, MBE, CEng, FIChemE, FEI for insights on fostering connection, leadership, and creating inclusive spaces. #Engineering #SafetyCulture #PsychologicalSafety #TheSAFELeader #MasculineEnergy

Psychological safety isn't a perk— it's a performance strategy. When leaders react with defensiveness or criticism to problems raised by their teams, they unintentionally activate a threat response in the brain, suppressing prefrontal activity responsible for complex reasoning and collaboration (Rock, 2009). Over time, this response conditions employees to withhold information, particularly the kind that leaders most need to hear (Edmondson, 2019). Behavioral economics explains this phenomenon through loss aversion—we’re hardwired to avoid social punishment more than we seek potential gains (Kahneman & Tversky, 1979). As a result, teams become more skilled at concealing issues than solving them. Leaders who want transparency must earn it by responding with curiosity, not control. The cost of defensiveness is not just trust—it’s innovation, speed, and resilience. Want to know if your team feels safe? Pay attention to how often you hear bad news early. If you're not hearing the problems, it doesn't mean they don't exist. It means they've learned you can’t handle the truth. Joshua J Plenert Author of How We Go https://lnkd.in/gwDE3ShK #HowWeGo #leadership #leadershipdevelopment Amy Edmondson L. David Marquet

Early in my career, someone told me that innovation only comes from the top. Years of leading transformations across Fortune 100 companies have taught me otherwise: ➡️ true innovation emerges when we create an environment of trust where every voice matters. I was reminded of this during a recent work dinner discussing LEGO's remarkable turnaround. In 2004, when Jorgen Vig Knudstorp became LEGO's first non-family CEO, the company was losing nearly $1 million daily. What fascinated me wasn't just the financial transformation, but how he achieved it: by fostering a culture of "two-way trust." Three key lessons stand out that I've seen proven time and again: 1. Create psychological safety for continuous learning. When people feel safe to experiment and even fail, innovation flourishes. 2. Break down silos to encourage cross-pollination of ideas. Some of the most powerful solutions come from unexpected collaborations. 3. Build an idea-rich environment where testing and learning is celebrated, not just tolerated. These principles aren't just theory - they're fundamental to sustainable transformation. At Humana, I've seen firsthand how creating space for diverse perspectives and encouraging calculated risk-taking leads to breakthrough solutions in healthcare delivery. Organizations don't transform - people do. And people only transform when they feel valued, heard, and safe to innovate. https://lnkd.in/eMR92bWf