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THIS Leader Podcast

Episode 15: Building Psychological Safety - Communication Strategies That Make All The Difference

May 20, 2025

Is your team holding back their best ideas? In this powerful episode, I explore the four stages of psychological safety and share specific communication strategies that transform team dynamics. Discover how small shifts in how you communicate can create an environment where innovation flourishes, problems are addressed early, and talented people thrive.

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Picture this: "You're in a meeting with an idea that could help solve a challenge, but subtle cues from leaders, an eye roll, a distracted glance at a phone, make you decide it's safer to stay quiet". This scenario plays out in workplaces daily, and as leaders, we often create these conditions without realizing the serious consequences.

In this episode, I break down psychological safety into four essential stages based on Timothy Clark's framework: Inclusion Safety (Do I belong?), Learner Safety (Can I make mistakes?), Contributor Safety (Are my unique gifts valued?), and Challenger Safety (Can I question established ways?). For each stage, I share practical communication strategies that make all the difference.

These aren't just "nice to have" practices; they're essential for innovation, problem-solving, and retention. Learn how small shifts in communication can begin transforming your team immediately, and discover why psychological safety isn't just about what leaders create, but also requires personal responsibility from every team member. This isn't about being perfect; it's about being intentional with every interaction.

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THIS Leader Podcast
Episode #15: Building Psychological Safety - Communication Strategies That Make All The Difference
24:30
 

"As a leader, your communication sets the tone. Every interaction either builds psychological safety or erodes it. There is no neutral ground."

Highlights from this episode:

In this episode, I explore the concept of psychological safety and share specific communication practices that can transform your team culture.

Understanding Psychological Safety: The Four Stages. Building on Harvard professor Amy Edmondson's research and Timothy Clark's framework, I explain how psychological safety develops through four distinct stages:

  • Level 1: Inclusion Safety – "Do I belong here? Can I be myself?"
  • Level 2: Learner Safety – "Can I take risks and make mistakes without fear of judgment?"
  • Level 3: Contributor Safety – "Are my unique gifts valued? Am I adding value?"
  • Level 4: Challenger Safety – "Can I question things, including authority and established ways?"

Create Inclusion Safety Through Genuine Connection

  • Acknowledge actively, deliberately drawing people into conversation.
  • Move beyond generic questions like "Any other thoughts?" to specific invitations: "Joan, you've worked with similar clients before, what's your take on this?"
  • Validate emotional realities before jumping to solutions

Build Learner Safety Through Better Responses

  1. Change how you respond to questions. Replace sighs or "As we discussed..." with "I'm glad you asked that"
  2. Normalize not knowing. Make "I don't know, but let's find out" stronger than pretending to have all the answers
  3. Reframe mistakes as learning opportunities through questions like "What can we learn from this?"

Nurture Contributor Safety Through Recognition

  • Give specific, meaningful recognition that connects contributions to impact
  • Seek perspective before driving toward solutions
  • Implement ideas with proper acknowledgment

Develop Challenger Safety Through Open Communication: 

  • Invite challenge with phrases like "Before we finalize this, what might we be missing?"
  • Respond with curiosity instead of defensiveness when ideas are challenged
  • Reward constructive dissent

These stages build on each other – you can't expect people to challenge the status quo (stage 4) if they don't even feel included (stage 1).

Personal Responsibility: Everyone plays a role.

  • Practice appropriate vulnerability
  • Be proactive about building trust
  • Develop resilience to imperfect feedback
  • Take ownership of growth

Remember, creating psychological safety isn't about perfection; it's about being intentional about communication. Research consistently shows that teams with high psychological safety innovate more, make fewer errors, and adapt better to change.

Resources Mentioned:

To learn more about my services and for additional tools to enhance your leadership impact, visit ClaireLaughlin.com and connect with me on social channels @Claire Laughlin Consulting.

 

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! New episodes are released weekly, and we'd love for you to share them with others who might benefit.

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About your Host

Claire Laughlin, MA, Organizational Development Consultant

Hi! I'm Claire Laughlin, and I love helping leaders like you create workplaces where people truly thrive.

For over two decades, I've been rolling up my sleeves alongside teams and organizations, using hands-on methods that actually work (because let's face it - theory only gets you so far!). 

I specialize in teaching leaders how to engage their teams, helping managers become more effective facilitators, and showing people how to work better together.

I'm also a master facilitator for the Six Types of Working Genius® - a fantastic tool that helps you understand and leverage your natural talents.

When I'm not helping leaders like you build happy, high-energy workplaces, I'm enjoying a hike in the forest with my dog Fiona, spending time with my family or curled up with a great book.

Photo of Claire Laughlin looking at her dog

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Let's keep the party going!

We have tons of great episodes waiting for you! Check them out on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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