If you find everyone in your company agrees on all things at all times, it’s time to worry. When people aren’t speaking up with dissenting opinions or even bothering to ask questions, it could be a sign of apathy or, worse, an indicator that you do not have a psychologically safe workplace.
Five Warning Signs Your Workplace Lacks Psychological Safety
There are hidden costs associated with a lack of psychological safety, including dissatisfied employees and poor retention rates. For example, when psychological safety is high in a workplace, only 3% of employees are at risk of quitting. Meanwhile, 12% of employees with the lowest levels of psychological safety say they are likely to quit within one year.
The problem is that people are unlikely to speak up and say, “I don’t feel safe” when they don’t feel safe. Here are five silent signs that could indicate your team isn’t feeling protected:
- High voluntary turnover. If you aren’t already, start conducting exit interviews to look for signs that the company culture may be to blame.
- Limited participation in meetings. Beware if only leadership is speaking up in meetings. When management is the sole voice being heard, it’s important to ask why.
- A lack of proactive behavior. Do workers come up with innovative ideas or proposals? If they aren’t pursuing and presenting their own ideas, they may be scared to do so.
- Many HR complaints—or none at all. On one hand, a large number of HR complaints can indicate a problematic culture. On the other hand, zero complaints may indicate that people aren’t speaking up due to fears of retaliation.
- Apparent self-censorship. Do people raise their hands to speak up—and then retreat? Do they visibly hesitate to ask questions? Do they make proposals and then backpedal? These patterns may indicate self-censorship due to a lack of psychological safety.
Is it possible to turn around a toxic culture? I believe so—but it requires intentional, thoughtful action from leadership.
Building a Psychologically Safe Workplace
Like trust, psychological safety takes time to build, but it can be broken in an instant. If you are looking to turn around a toxic workplace culture, it’s important to recognize that meaningful change won’t happen overnight. Three tips to try:
- Lead with vulnerability: Psychological safety comes from empathetic leadership, not HR handbooks. Model vulnerable behavior by admitting mistakes, asking for help, and showing emotions when appropriate.
- Practice intentional inclusivity: Everyone impacted by a project decision should be at the table when decisions are made about that project. Even an inadvertent exclusion can erode trust.
- Create frameworks for respectful two-way communication: Create processes and structures that encourage employees to speak up without fear of retaliation. Actively seek feedback.
Above all, practice consistency. You can’t invite feedback on Monday and then get annoyed if you are given feedback on Tuesday. Trust and psychological safety are impossible if people feel like they’re having the rug pulled out from under them.
A Long-Term Investment with a Lasting Payoff
Creating psychological safety is an ongoing commitment that requires constant care and attention. Showing consistent patterns of behavior over time creates a space where people feel comfortable showing up authentically, contributing creatively, and collaborating freely.
An organization is built on its people, and those people are only as strong as you make them. By creating psychologically safe workplaces, we foster empowered employees, who are the cornerstone of resilient and adaptable organizations—the kinds of organizations that stand the test of time.