The role of psychological safety in innovation
- Duncan Maddox
- Mar 6
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Innovation does not come from investment in technology alone. It also requires individuals to question assumptions, raise concerns, experiment and sometimes fail without being blamed, shamed or side-lined.
The problem is that many organisations genuinely understand the importance of innovation whilst simultaneously punishing the very behaviours it requires.
Innovation involves interpersonal risk taking
We often just think about innovation as a technical, strategic or financial challenge. In other words, we assume that if we throw enough time, money and effort at a problem then we will solve it.
In reality, innovation is just as much a social challenge as a technical one. New ideas do not emerge in a vacuum. New ideas are raised in meetings, tested in front of colleagues and judged by managers and stakeholders with influence over budgets, priorities and careers.
This means that innovation depends on more than creativity and technical excellence. It also depends on the individuals working in those innovative teams being willing to take interpersonal risks.
Questioning a deeply held assumption, vocalising a half-thought-out idea or admitting that an experiment has failed can all incur a social cost.
When that social cost feels too high, people start protecting themselves. They become more selective about what they say, when they say it and how exposed they are willing to be.
The result is that useful challenge never occurs. Concerns stay unspoken. Ideas arrive too late. And experiments become more about not being wrong than learning anything new.
Many organisations punish the very behaviour they say they want
Organisations talk about agility, experimentation, learning and fresh thinking. They ask teams to challenge assumptions, solve problems differently and bring forward new ideas.
But that message often breaks down the moment those behaviours create discomfort.
A new idea that questions the current approach can be seen as disruptive rather than useful.
Speaking openly about problems might be welcomed once or twice but when someone repeatedly raises valid issues and concerns that person often gets labelled as difficult not thoughtful.
A small experiment that fails should normally be viewed as valuable learning but all too often instead triggers more management oversight and questions about wasted time and effort.
This creates a strong social signal.
People learn that it is safer to back proven ideas, stay close to the dominant view and avoid raising concerns and asking uncomfortable questions.
The language of innovation remains but the day-to-day incentives are actively pushing people in the opposite direction.
Safety is not softness
"Psychological safety is not about wrapping people in cotton wool." Amy Edmondson
Psychological safety is often misunderstood as being nice to people, lowering the bar or avoiding difficult conversations. That is not what innovative teams need and it is not what psychological safety is.
Psychological safety was defined by Amy Edmondson as a shared belief that the team is a safe space for interpersonal risk taking. Specifically, that individuals can ask questions, raise concerns, challenge the existing thinking and even admit to mistakes without fear of blame, shame or ridicule.
The emphasis on belief is important because people's beliefs are based on their lived experience rather than just what is said.
In a psychologically unsafe environment, people are often judged quickly, exposed publicly or made to feel that mistakes damage their credibility.
In a psychologically safe environment, people can speak honestly, take small risks and admit some mistakes. And they aren't subject to punishment.
But psychological safety on it's own is not enough. To enter the learning zone that results in real innovation teams need both psychological safety and high performance standards. Without performance standards the team are comfortable but not driven to achieve their full potential.
The Learning Zone
Workshops are running. Ideas are being shared. Post-its cover the walls. Leaders are talking about experimentation.
But without psychological safety your teams are avoiding risk, protecting status and keeping doubts to themselves.
Ideas are only shared once fully formed. Common knowledge and assumptions are not challenged. And experiments are avoided altogether.
That is not innovation. It is innovation theatre.
Real innovation involves creativity, conflict and risk. It is messy, uncomfortable and hard work. Which is why so many organisations fall short. But the ones that get this right are operating in the Learning Zone, where real innovation happens.
If this article reflects what is happening in your organisation, the pattern is unlikely to be isolated.
Breakdowns in communication, weak challenge, poor decisions under pressure and slow learning are often connected. They usually point to deeper problems in how work is organised, especially under stress.
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