(…) the number-one indicator of a successful team wasn’t tenure, seniority or salary levels, but psychological safety. Think of a team you work with closely. How strongly do you agree with these five statements?

1. If I take a chance, and screw up, it will be held against me
2. Our team has a strong sense of culture that can be hard for new people to join.
3. My team is slow to offer help to people who are struggling.
4. Using my unique skills and talents come second to the objectives of the team.
5. It’s uncomfortable to have open honest conversations about our team’s sensitive issues.

Teams that score high on questions like these can be deemed to be “unsafe”. Unsafe to innovate, unsafe to resolve conflict, unsafe to admit they need help.

– Engineering a culture of psychological safety.