Amy Edmondson defines psychological safety as the belief held by team members that it's safe to take risks, express ideas and concerns, speak up with questions, and admit mistakes—all without fear of negative consequences.
Low team safety can result in reliance on the leader for direction and individuals holding back from asking questions or sharing ideas, undermining the team's effectiveness and people’s career progression.
Although much has been written about psychological safety, most of the literature is from a leader's perspective. It focuses on the benefits of psychological safety and how to create a safe environment, with less written on how a team member can communicate within a team with low psychological safety.
If you work in a team where psychological safety is holding you back, one skill to develop is how you frame your contribution.
Look at the current US election cycle to watch a masterclass in the framing effect. What a stark contrast between the two political leaders, how they frame reality, and the decision voters must make in November.
The framing effect is an essential leadership skill that comes from presenting information in a way that changes or influences someone's perceptions. Leaders influence others by using certain words, images, or narratives to help persuade them to think or feel the way they want about an idea, concept, or situation.
The framing effect can also help encourage a safer conversational space for you and others. Here are five ways to get you started.
1) Clarify the Purpose of a Conversation
Reflecting on your ability to communicate effectively, have you ever walked away from a conversation and thought, "What was the purpose of that discussion?" Clarifying the purpose of a conversation is a simple way to create a safer space. Many skills support effective communication, but one of the most overlooked is clarifying a goal for the conversation at the start. Framing the purpose of a conversation helps remove friction points by explaining what is on the table for discussion.
2) Build on What’s Working
To provide feedback in a team where you have concerns about speaking up, reflect on how you frame your contribution. Do you use positive and solution-focused framing? Instead of pointing out problems, offer suggestions or insights constructively. However, a trap when participating in a discussion is presenting your idea as the solution. Instead, be curious about how you present a perspective, for example, by asking, "I wonder if…?" This framing suggests that the idea is open for examination. It can help defuse the win-lose mindset that emerges when a team has low safety. Approaching the conversation with a growth mindset means you are open to learning what others think.
3) Ask Permission to Share a Perspective
In conversations, we often assume that we have the right to share our perspectives with others. While this may work in many situations, asking for permission to share our perspective can be a powerful way to frame a conversation and create safety. It respects the other person’s autonomy by giving them a choice. Signalling respect in relationships builds trust and a feeling of safety. In teams with low levels of psychological safety, this can create the conditions for dialogue and help prime you to share your perspective.
4) Ask Questions Instead of Making Statements
Start by paying attention, listening, and receiving a message before contributing to the conversation. When we feel unsafe, we can find ourselves listening to negative self-talk instead of listening to the conversation. Being fully present and actively listening shows respect for the other person. Use active listening skills like paraphrasing, e.g., 'so what I hear you're looking for is…' before adding to the conversation. Also, asking questions can be a safer way to participate when deciding what you do or don’t say in a meeting. It allows you to contribute without coming across as oppositional. Questions show engagement while emphasising collaboration rather than appearing critical.
5) Stay Focused on Facts and Data
Finally, emotions can be high in psychologically unsafe environments, and opinions can trigger a defensive response. Grounding your contribution in data, research, or concrete examples can make your input appear more objective. This approach involves taking more time to prepare for meetings; however, it can come across as more considered.
You may ask yourself, why should I have to worry about how to approach the conversation? Isn't that the leader’s role? Learning how to participate in psychologically unsafe teams can help you strengthen your capacity for empathy and develop your relationship management skills. These emotional intelligence competencies are two of the hallmarks of an effective leader.
Finally, this article does not excuse leaders from creating psychologically safe team environments. However, it is not always possible to influence immediate change, and therefore, the framing effect offers one way to contribute to team conversations.
What do you think, and what strategies could help someone participate when there is low safety?