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Psychological Safety

Download the resources below to discover how to create genuine psychological safety where people can speak openly, hear difficult truths, and work through disagreement productively.

Resources for Psychological Safety

24 Resources
Relationship Intelligence eBook cover
eBook
Relationship Intelligence: How to Build and Rebuild Relationships at...
Relationship Intelligence: How to Build and Rebuild Relationships at Work
eBook • 49 mins
Relationship Intelligence: How to Build and Rebuild Relationships at Work
Despite investments in engagement and culture initiatives, many organizations overlook the most powerful driver of team performance: the quality of personal relationships. In this ebook, you'll learn the skills you need to establish healthy, productive relationships that boost engagement and better results.
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young executive pointing finger at employee in meeting
Blog
Caught Off Guard, and Trying to Recover
Caught Off Guard, and Trying to Recover
Blog • 5 Min
Caught Off Guard, and Trying to Recover
Dear Crucial Skills, I was unexpectedly called into a meeting with senior leaders and colleagues who criticized a new process I had introduced. The conversation became heated, and I felt unprepared, cornered, and reactive, especially as they challenged the process without notice or supporting facts. Feeling...
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woman with arms defensively crossed talking with man at work
Blog
Why We Do What We Do in Conflict, and How We Can Be Better
Why We Do What We Do in Conflict, and How We Can Be Better
Blog • 7 Min
Why We Do What We Do in Conflict, and How We Can Be Better
When I first started working with the SDI back in the 1990s, I made a mistake that turned into a learning opportunity. I had an appointment with a senior training officer at a large corporation. She had completed the paper version of the SDI in advance (this was the era of mailing paper assessments and using...
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Business Manager Overlooking Colleague Working
Blog
Safety Schmafety. My Boss Says One Thing, and Does Another
Safety Schmafety. My Boss Says One Thing, and Does Another
Blog • 4 Min
Safety Schmafety. My Boss Says One Thing, and Does Another
My boss talks a lot about creating psychological safety, but honestly, I feel uncomfortable in a lot of our conversations. They feel awkward, sometimes tense, and not very safe. How do I deal with what feels like hypocrisy from my her?
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worried man sitting at desktop computer
Blog
How to Address Unspoken Tension
How to Address Unspoken Tension
Blog • 6 Min
How to Address Unspoken Tension
How can I have a productive conversation with a colleague when there’s clear tension between us, but I don’t know the cause? I want to keep the discussion calm and focused on facts so we can improve the work environment.
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two businessmen having serious conversation
Blog
Think Leaders Don’t Need Psychological Safety? Think Again
Think Leaders Don’t Need Psychological Safety? Think Again
Blog • 5 Min
Think Leaders Don’t Need Psychological Safety? Think Again
You write a lot about making others feel safe, including bosses. Why would it ever be a subordinate’s responsibility to make their boss feel “safe”? The power dynamic already places the superior in a position of safety. Bosses should already have training to effectively take feedback from those beneath...
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confident and stern female ceo with group of executives
Blog
What to Do When Your Boss Is a Bully
What to Do When Your Boss Is a Bully
Blog • 7 Min
What to Do When Your Boss Is a Bully
The manager in our department is widely regarded as a bully. Her behavior includes frequent outbursts directed at whoever is nearest, followed by long, accusatory emails. This has become a normalized management style, and it’s taking a serious toll—several team members are now on antidepressants due to...
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Skills to Lead with Empathy and Accountability
eBook
Skills to Lead with Empathy and Accountability
Skills to Lead with Empathy and Accountability
eBook • 17 mins
Skills to Lead with Empathy and Accountability
Today, leadership demands more than operational skill—it demands a human touch, one that acknowledges people’s challenges and still ensures the work gets done. This is the manager’s dilemma: balancing empathy with accountability. In this ebook, we’ll help you recognize these moments of...
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two women sitting at table having conversation
Blog
How to Deliver Feedback Effectively
How to Deliver Feedback Effectively
Blog • 5 Min
How to Deliver Feedback Effectively
I am working on my skill set of leading others. This is new to me, so I’m trying to learn how to give effective feedback on their work. I worry that I won't be helpful, or worse, they'll get defensive and I will lose future opportunities to give feedback. Any suggestions?
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team of professionals sharing ideas in boardroom
Blog
What to Do When Personality Differences Hinder Teamwork
What to Do When Personality Differences Hinder Teamwork
Blog • 7 Min
What to Do When Personality Differences Hinder Teamwork
In my experience, it is easier to work on teams with people who are alike.  When people are really different, it seems like there is much more friction on the team. I am now a manager of a team that has a lot of different types of people, and I don’t know how I can create a cohesive, well-running team...
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male CEO holding a meeting with his team
Blog
Addressing Your Team When Someone Has Been Let Go
Addressing Your Team When Someone Has Been Let Go
Blog • 4 Min
Addressing Your Team When Someone Has Been Let Go
Dear Crucial Skills, What advice can you give to a group after someone popular has been let go and there is dissent and frustration? I am not permitted to share the reasons for the decision to let this employee go, and it wasn’t my decision to make, but how do I help my team deal …
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young man sitting in meeting with other people
Blog
How the SDI Contributes to Psychological Safety
How the SDI Contributes to Psychological Safety
Blog • 6 Min
How the SDI Contributes to Psychological Safety
Psychological safety depends on trust in each other’s intentions, and the SDI assessment can help people bring their best self to a conversation so they feel safe to contribute to the Pool of Shared Meaning. Whether it be a team or a 1:1 relationship, open and productive dialogue depends on an atmosphere...
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Women in the Workplace
eBook
Women in the Workplace
Women in the Workplace
eBook • 14 mins
Women in the Workplace
This study of over 2,500 professionals reveals a shift toward gender parity in how assertive communication is perceived. While women historically faced penalties for speaking up, the 2023 data show that evaluations of men and women are now statistically equal on most measures. The eBook concludes that...
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Overcoming Workplace Baggage
eBook
Overcoming Workplace Baggage
Overcoming Workplace Baggage
eBook • 4 mins
Overcoming Workplace Baggage
Workplace baggage—the negative experiences, environments, and behaviors employees bring with them from their pasts – is pervasive and harmful. Should it simply be ignored? Should it be welcomed and entertained? This ebook offers strategies for processing and handling past baggage in a way that creates...
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Feedsmacked
eBook
Feedsmacked
Feedsmacked
eBook • 8 mins
Feedsmacked
Feedback is a gift. Without the ability to speak freely, emotions are buried, growth is stagnated, and relationships become increasingly fragile. Each of us can be responsible for our own safety and worth, regardless of the feedback we get. Once we do, we will crave truth over approval, and our self-respect...
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Leading Through Layoffs
eBook
Leading Through Layoffs
Leading Through Layoffs
eBook • 4 mins
Leading Through Layoffs
Drawing from private-sector case studies, this ebook shows that employees’ trust in leadership doubles when layoffs are handled with candor and care. Companies that used dialogue skills retained more top talent and experienced faster post-layoff recovery. It offers actionable tools for leading with...
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Why People Go to Silence and How to Help Them Open Up
Blog
Why People Go to Silence and How to Help Them Open Up
Why People Go to Silence and How to Help Them Open Up
Blog • 6 Min
Why People Go to Silence and How to Help Them Open Up
What is the root cause for people to choose silence rather than to verbalize what they want or need from others? Why would they avoid having a Crucial Conversation at the expense of what they need?
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The Heart of The Matter
eBook
The Heart of The Matter
The Heart of The Matter
eBook • 7 mins
The Heart of The Matter
The quality of our relationships affects the quality of our lives. Numerous studies have shown that relational health affects physical health, psychological health, even mortality. In organizations, it affects productivity, engagement, safety, and more. Improve your ability to connect with others, improve...
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Costly Conversations
eBook
Costly Conversations
Costly Conversations
eBook • 8 mins
Costly Conversations
Not having Crucial Conversations doesn't just affect the two people involved. It costs the organization time and money as well - often tens of thousands of dollars. Don’t pay through the nose when you can work through issues by opening your mouth, using the skills found in this ebook.
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Open Office Secrets
eBook
Open Office Secrets
Open Office Secrets
eBook • 4 mins
Open Office Secrets
People have intense and pervasive frustrations with their boss, and yet they don’t feel safe or able to give their manager feedback. Instead of speaking up, they vent to each other. The good news is, there are a handful of skills people can use to confront a misbehaving manager. In this ebook, learn the...
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Leader’s Guide to Effective Dialogue
eBook
Leader’s Guide to Effective Dialogue
Leader’s Guide to Effective Dialogue
eBook • 7 mins
Leader’s Guide to Effective Dialogue
This study of 1,300 employees found that one in three leaders fail under pressure, displaying emotional or avoidant behaviors that damage results. Leaders who stayed calm and communicated openly were 56% more likely to meet quality standards and 47% more likely to improve morale. The eBook demonstrates how...
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Unafraid
eBook
Unafraid
Unafraid
eBook • 10 mins
Unafraid
Do you feel afraid to speak your mind at work, at home, or in your community? We studied positive deviants who were less fearful and more confident in similar circumstances and found the six communication principles they're using to reduce their fear without losing their voice.
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Emotional Inequality
Research
Emotional Inequality
Emotional Inequality
Research • 38 mins
Emotional Inequality
Speaking forcefully creates a social backlash. That backlash is amplified for women. If not managed well, this phenomenon can adversely affect an individual’s career and can prove costly to an organization’s effectiveness. The implications of the findings in this report can empower individuals and...
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How to Make it Safe to Deliver Feedback
Blog
How to Make it Safe to Deliver Feedback
How to Make it Safe to Deliver Feedback
Blog • 5 Min
How to Make it Safe to Deliver Feedback
I have a staff member who is diagnosed with depression and anxiety. She also has a very low sense of self-esteem. Giving her constructive feedback on her performance is painful—for both of us. I have a hard time helping her feel safe when she seems to only focus on the negative stuff. How can I establish a...
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