Building Psychological Safety within Agile Teams

A definition of Psychological Safety could be considered:
“.. the shared belief among team members that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking” – Amy Edmondson, Harvard Business School

when:
“.. engaging in learning behaviours such as asking for help, seeking feedback, admitting errors or lack of knowledge, trying something new or voicing work-related dissenting views”. – Harri Kaloudis

Promoting psychological safety in agile teams can be achieved through several different strategies.

• Encourage open communication: Create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, ideas, and concerns without fear of judgment or retaliation.
• Foster active listening: Encourage team members to actively listen to each other and provide opportunities for them to give and receive feedback.
• Build trust: Trust is a fundamental component of psychological safety. Encourage team members to build trust with each other through open and honest communication.
• Provide support: Provide support for team members to address and overcome any personal or professional challenges they may be facing.
• Lead by example: Leaders should model the behavior they expect from team members and create a culture of inclusivity, respect, and open communication.
• Encourage an open-door policy: Encourage team members to bring up concerns and issues without fear of repercussion and ensure that these concerns are addressed and resolved in a timely manner.
• Celebrate successes: Recognize and celebrate the successes and contributions of team members to build a positive team dynamic and foster a sense of belonging and inclusion.
• Encourage learning and continuous improvement: Encourage team members to continuously learn and improve and provide opportunities for them to do so.
• Encourage collaboration: Encourage team members to collaborate and provide opportunities for them to work together on projects.
• Encourage psychological safety training and workshops for all team members.