Balancing psychological safety and accountability: A path to thriving workplaces
“We are dialling down celebrating failure…otherwise we can’t drive accountability.”
We’ve heard this sentiment a few times in recent months, and it raises important questions about our performance-focused company cultures right now. It's as if psychological safety is seen as a trade-off for accountability, as if the two can't coexist. But the reality is, they are most powerful when they exist together.
In her excellent TED talk, Amy Edmondson illustrates this well. Without psychological safety, accountability turns into anxiety. People are afraid to take risks, make mistakes, or even speak up. This stifles innovation and creativity. Employees work under constant stress, which can lead to burnout and disengagement. When people don’t feel safe, they’re less likely to admit mistakes or learn from them, hindering personal and business growth.
On the flip side, without accountability, there's a risk that psychological safety can lead to complacency. If there are no standards or expectations, people may become too comfortable and stop pushing themselves or the company forward. It can result in a lack of focus, poor performance, and ultimately, stagnation.
However, when both psychological safety and accountability coexist, we create an environment for:
Learning
Creativity
Innovation
Growth
Motivation
Wellbeing
Building systems that support both in growing teams
Scaling psychological safety can feel tricky, especially in rapidly growing teams. So, how do we build systems and structures that support this balance?
Here are some key areas to focus on:
1️⃣ Defined roles and responsibilities
Ensure everyone understands their role and what is expected of them. Clarity reduces uncertainty and helps people feel secure in their tasks.
2️⃣ Embedded purpose, values, and behaviours
Clearly define and communicate your organisational values and expected behaviors. This sets a standard for how everyone should interact and contribute to a positive and trusting work environment.
3️⃣ Feedback mechanisms
Implement regular and constructive feedback loops. This helps employees understand their performance and areas for improvement without fear of negative consequences.
4️⃣ Conflict resolution
Establish effective conflict resolution processes. Addressing issues promptly and fairly ensures that conflicts don’t fester, damage the team dynamic, or cause anxiety.
5️⃣ Recognition and rewards
Acknowledge and reward not just successes, but also efforts and learning from failures. This reinforces a culture where people feel appreciated and motivated to keep trying.
The power of combining psychological safety and accountability
When we have these foundational elements in place, psychological safety and accountability go hand in hand. This ensures failures are part of the learning journey and accountability drives us towards delivering on our ambition vision.
