Adapted from Amy Edmonson’s Leader’s Tool Kit for Building Psychological Safety, from The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth*.*
Setting the stage
Get on the same page and establish team norms before the project begins.
- Frame the work: Set expectations about failure, uncertainty, and interdependence to clarify the need for voice.
- What do success and failure look like for this project?
- What are the known unknowns as we set out on this project?
- How will this team work together to accomplish the shared goal? What skills, knowledge, and expertise will each team member contribute?
- How will individual contributions and feedback from team members make success more likely?
- Emphasize purpose: Identify what’s at stake, why it matters, and for whom it matters.
- Who are the stakeholders affected by the success or failure of this project (e.g. team members, colleagues, customers, etc)?
- How will success or failure affect each stakeholder group?
Inviting participation
Throughout the project’s life cycle, it’s essential that team members feel their input is welcome, so create opportunities for feedback and contribution through in-the-moment cues and broader structures.
- Demonstrational situational humility.
- What are your own gaps in skills, knowledge, or expertise necessary to complete the project?
- What do you remain uncertain about, and what does the team need to understand more deeply before moving forward?
- Practice inquiry: It’s important to both ask good questions and model intense listening when team members respond.
- In the brainstorming process, what are potential questions to ask team members to solicit feedback and collaboration?
- Set up structures and processes: Create feedback loops and moments for reflection.
- How will team members submit input, whether verbal or written, throughout the process?