A Fresh Start for Teams: Building Psychological Safety in the New Year

As we step into a new year, many of us are setting goals, making resolutions, and striving for growth—both personally and professionally. The beginning of the year offers a natural "reset" button, a chance to reflect on what’s working and what needs improvement. For leaders and teams, it’s the perfect opportunity to focus on fostering an environment where innovation, collaboration, and trust can flourish.

One key ingredient to achieving this is psychological safety.

Defined by Harvard professor Amy Edmondson, psychological safety is the shared belief that a team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking—a place where individuals can voice ideas, admit mistakes, and collaborate without fear of judgment.

The importance of psychological safety is undeniable. In Google’s famous Project Aristotle, it was identified as the number one driver of team effectiveness. But how do you cultivate this essential trait within your team? Dr. Timothy R. Clark’s The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety provides a practical and insightful roadmap to follow.

 
Stage 1: Inclusion Safety—Laying the Foundation

The first step to psychological safety is ensuring that every team member feels they belong. Without a sense of inclusion, individuals are unlikely to engage or contribute fully, fearing rejection or exclusion.

Fresh Start Tip: Just as New Year’s resolutions often involve building connections—reaching out to loved ones or networking professionally—teams can prioritize inclusion by fostering a culture of belonging.

✔ Action Step: Start team meetings with personal check-ins or icebreakers that celebrate diverse perspectives. Ask questions like, “What’s something unique you bring to the team?”

 
Stage 2: Learner Safety—Encouraging Growth

Once inclusion is established, the focus shifts to creating an environment where individuals feel safe to ask questions, experiment, and seek feedback. Learning involves vulnerability, and team members need assurance that their efforts will be supported, not ridiculed.

Fresh Start Tip: New Year’s resolutions often center on learning new skills—why not extend this mindset to your team? Commit to collective learning and improvement.

✔ Action Step: Encourage curiosity by celebrating questions and experimentation. Consider hosting weekly “learning moments” where the team reflects on lessons from both successes and setbacks.

 
Stage 3: Contributor Safety—Empowering Action

Contributor safety allows team members to take ownership of tasks, share ideas, and make meaningful contributions without fear of being undermined. This stage is crucial for translating knowledge into action.

Fresh Start Tip: Just as people set goals to take control of their personal growth, teams can create a culture that empowers individuals to take initiative and make an impact.

✔ Action Step: Assign tasks that align with team members’ strengths, and recognize their expertise. During brainstorming sessions, explicitly validate contributions to encourage active participation.

 
Stage 4: Challenger Safety—Driving Innovation

The highest stage of psychological safety is challenger safety, where team members feel confident questioning the status quo, challenging assumptions, and advocating for change. This is where true innovation happens.

Fresh Start Tip: The new year inspires change—apply this energy to your team by creating an environment where fresh ideas and bold thinking are celebrated.

✔ Action Step: Introduce structured “devil’s advocate” sessions or open forums for constructive debate. Encourage team members to share alternative viewpoints or critique existing processes in a supportive way.

 
The Case for Psychological Safety

Psychological safety isn’t just about making people feel comfortable—it’s about making them feel understood. Research shows that teams with high psychological safety are more collaborative, resilient, and productive.

In addition to Edmondson’s work, studies from the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science highlight how psychological safety reduces fear of failure, leading to greater innovation and creativity. Dr. Clark’s framework underscores the importance of guiding teams through these stages, ensuring everyone can contribute meaningfully and fearlessly.

 
New Year, New Opportunities for Growth

As we embrace the fresh start of a new year, let’s make psychological safety a priority. By focusing on inclusion, fostering curiosity, empowering action, and driving innovation, leaders can create an environment where teams thrive.

So, what’s your resolution for building a stronger, more connected team this year? Let’s work together to cultivate psychological safety and unlock the extraordinary potential within our teams.

Sources:

Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams
Clark, T. R. (2020). The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety
Google’s Project Aristotle
Research from Journal of Applied Behavioral Science

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