Imagine working in an environment where trust, open communication, and collaboration thrive while we push ourselves to conquer new challenges and grow both personally and professionally. Do you? Do you want to?

That's the kind of team culture I envision when I think of working at a good company. Sometimes, companies do this well, and sometimes they could do better. But don't forget; a strong team starts with you, and it's important to strike the right balance between psychological safety, honesty, and tackling challenges head-on, ultimately fostering a supportive and high-performing team that helps us all succeed.

But how do you do this? And how do you start?

Psychological Safety and Tackling Challenges

A great team is built on psychological safety: an environment where everyone feels comfortable expressing their thoughts, concerns, and ideas without fearing negative consequences. This fosters innovation, creativity, and effective collaboration.

However, it's crucial to understand that psychological safety doesn't mean avoiding difficult tasks or challenges; it might seem that being "safe" from negative consequences is ideal, and we should avoid challenging situations.

But the truth is: that growth requires facing challenges and adversity. A team that fosters psychological safety emphasizes creating an atmosphere where we feel supported while tackling these challenges and growing together.

In my career, I've faced situations where I needed to step out of my comfort zone. You may know that I started my marketing career as a marketing team of "one" -- just me! Being the only one doing the job was challenging, and I often felt inadequate. Honestly, I made quite a few mistakes. But I learned to work through them, put my head down, and keep going until I got it right because people counted on me. This experience reinforced what I had been taught since I was young: that resilience and a growth mindset are essential for personal and professional growth.

But creating a team that enables that growth starts at the individual level. Challenges will come, and you must foster resilience in your mind before you can expect it from those around you. Psychological safety starts first in your mind and then depends on the team around you. It requires emotional and mental resilience.

But how do you know if you're resilient? Gauge it by asking yourself:

  • Can people criticize your work without you feeling personally attacked?
  • Can you fail without spiraling into debilitating shame?
  • If you feel disappointed or embarrassed in your work, can you bounce back quickly?

If you struggle with any of these, remember you're not alone. Everyone faces these challenges, but a good team will help each other work through them. To get that started, involve your colleagues, family, friends, and manager where appropriate. Discuss what you're trying to accomplish, and let them help.

Honesty and Communication

A cornerstone of a psychologically safe and high-performing team is honest communication. Being open and genuine with ourselves and our teammates is vital for our mental health and the overall functioning of a team. By honestly expressing our thoughts, feelings, and concerns, we can address them more effectively and find appropriate solutions.

For instance, if you're not enthusiastic about returning to the office or feel overwhelmed by your assigned tasks, it's crucial to be honest about it and engage in constructive dialogue. By openly discussing your preferences and concerns, you can hopefully work together with your manager to explore alternative arrangements that benefit everyone.

You may come across social media posts or stories from acquaintances that advocate for getting the upper hand or not letting an employer "take advantage of you." However, such an approach assumes dishonesty and a lack of open communication between employees and management.

Hopefully, you don't find yourself in one of those situations. If you do, you might need to make a change. I'm focusing on companies with healthy respect between employees and employers, albeit not always perfect. I know that bad companies exist all around us, but I still believe that most managers will try to work with people who are honest and communicate in a constructive and collaborative way.

Because in a truly psychologically safe environment, honest conversations can and should happen. Creating and maintaining such an environment starts with you, individually. You must be willing to be completely honest and communicate openly.

Consider reflecting on the following questions:

  • If you disagree with a decision made by your supervisor or coworker, can you articulate why? Do you share your thoughts?
  • If you have a conflict or issue with a coworker or manager, can you address it with them openly and honestly, without deceit or omission?

These conversations should be collaborative and constructive; they can't be adversarial or selfish, but most importantly, they should be honest.

Balancing Psychological Safety and Accountability

Finding the right equilibrium between psychological safety and personal accountability in a thriving team environment is essential. While creating a safe space for open communication and expression is crucial, we must also recognize our individual responsibilities in achieving the team's goals. Embracing failure as a learning opportunity is key to establishing psychological safety, but we must also be aware that our failures can affect our teammates and impact their ability to succeed.

So, how can we balance these seemingly contrasting concepts? The answer lies in supporting and relying on one another. We can share our concerns, ask for help when needed, and offer assistance and encouragement to our colleagues. Doing so creates an environment where we can learn from our failures and use them as stepping stones for growth.

As teams work to foster a psychologically safe environment grounded in honesty and transparent communication, they enable each other to learn from failure while recognizing the importance of our individual roles within the team.

In other words, we can progress together by rallying around one another and providing support during challenging times. Individually, we commit to never letting a failure, necessary as it is, impede our teams' ability to succeed -- as we count on each other member to have the same attitude so as never to let their failures impact our ability to succeed.

We watch for the signs that someone is struggling, so we can rally around them and count on them to do the same for us when needed. By doing so, we can strike a balance between psychological safety and personal accountability.

I know I personally work hard to cultivate a workplace that values psychological safety, honesty, and a strong sense of responsibility. I'm not always perfect. But I tell my teams consistently that we're all in this together, supporting one another every step of the way.

That's how we win.