Psychological Safety

Psychological Safety: The Foundation of Inclusive and High-Performing Teams

Psychological Safety Team Performance Workplace Inclusion

Tash Koster-Thomas

Tash (she/her) is an Inclusion and Diversity Consultant, presenter, speaker. She provides valuable insight into how to remove barriers associated with diversity & inclusion.

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What allows people to bring their ideas, questions and concerns to work without fear? Psychological safety. Discover why it is essential to team performance, inclusion and employee engagement.

Psychological safety is one of the most significant predictors of high-performing teams, yet it remains one of the most misunderstood. Drawing on the foundational research of Amy Edmondson and the developmental framework of Timothy R. Clark, this session explores what psychological safety really means, why it matters, and how leaders and teams can actively cultivate it. Participants will move through Clark's four stages: inclusion safety, learner safety, contributor safety, and challenger safety, gaining a clear understanding of how each stage builds on the last and what conditions are needed for people to bring their full selves, their best thinking and their honest voices to work.

Learning Objectives

Define psychological safety grounded in Edmondson's research
Navigate Clark's four stages of psychological safety, understanding the conditions, behaviours and leadership actions that enable each
Recognise the barriers that erode psychological safety in teams and organisations and identify where those gaps exist in their own context
Apply practical strategies to model and encourage psychologically safe environments as a leader, team member or colleague
Connect psychological safety to broader inclusion outcomes, understanding how it functions as the foundation for belonging, innovation and organisational performance