Psychological safety = creative minds, safe?hearts.

Disclaimer: the insights in this snack ?? are relevant to all teams across industries?—?not just agencies.

From Gratia, we want to share not some best practices but THE best practice that can save you from these painful questions:?

?? Why are other teams more innovative than mine?

?? Why, if I hire talented people, don’t they shine?

?? Why am I abandoned by creative collaborators and left with unimaginative ones?

Answer: almost certainly because of the psychological safety you offer as a team or company.

Amy understands a?lot.

Harvard professor Amy Edmondson defines psychological safety as “the shared belief that the team is a safe place to take interpersonal risks.” In other words, it is the confidence you can propose and do without fear of being humiliated, ignored, or punished.

Trust us?—?this is the bedrock of creativity.

When a team feels psychologically safe, they naturally:

• They take creative risks: they propose or “experiment with ideas, even if they initially seem crazy.
• They express: opinions, thoughts, concerns, and insecurities without fear of criticism.
• They accept mistakes: knowing they are part of learning and that failures are opportunities to grow.
• They learn and teach: there is confidence to ask for and give constructive feedback, which energizes the group.

Doesn’t this happen in your team? Yellow light: creativity does not flourish under intimidation. Let’s see how to reverse it.

If you are a leader, this section is for?you:

Creating psychological safety depends, purely and exclusively, on the leader. It doesn’t rely on the culture or subculture they foster. Here is an actionable plan:

1. Be a role model: promote dLet’sue, listen actively, and value diversity of perspectives.
2. Celebrate experimentation: recognize that mistakes through experimentation (not negligence) are part of the creative process. Create a climate where learning is valued, and testing is celebrated, even if the desired success is not always achieved.
3. Recognize individual contributions: congratulate achievements, large or small. Acknowledging reinforces the team’s confidence and self-esteem.

Keep in mind that we tend to project our shortcomings onto others. Look in the mirror and reflect honestly: are you creating a safe environment for your team? When you give feedback, do you pollinate or wither? Do your team members accept challenges to your ideas? Do you allow comments or improvements to what you propose?

Let’s suggest some tips to make that happen:

1. Prick the ego. It usually solves 80% of the problem.
2. Talk to your team and ask them how they feel when interacting with you and what they need to feel more confident and creative.
3. Daily, let them give you feedback because feedback is always bidirectional. Ask for it, and have retrospective meetings to help you see if there is something you can improve. And commit to doing it.
4. Practice active listening. Listening doesn’t just mean hearing. It means encouraging and asking relevant questions to validate people’s contributions and reinforce that their ideas matter. For example, use phrases like “That’s interesting, could you elaborate on that?” or “Tell us more…” or “How do you imagine…?” and questions that open minds rather than close possibilities. Give them the space to contribute and think.
5. Recognize effort, not just success. Be careful: if you only celebrate the final results, you could discourage experimentation. Shift your gaze and detect good things to recognize and reinforce instead of just pointing out what didn’t go well.
6. Prink the ego. We have already said it, but it quickly gets inflated again.

If you are afraid of conflict within the team, this section is for?you:

Fear of conflict can stifle creativity. However, constructive conflict and passionate debate can fuel innovative ideas.?

Teach your team the difference between attacking a problem or an idea and attacking a person: people are sacred; ideas are to be beaten to a pulp, made to shine, or discarded if there are better ideas.

Creativity flourishes in freedom and discussion, not fear or rigid hierarchies.

Is psychological security the same as a good working environment?

Not necessarily. A team can have a pleasant atmosphere yet operate under a system where one leader dictates, and everyone else complies. Psychological safety is about empowering everyone to think, contribute, and create.

Yes, you?can.

You can prevent your team from being a Bermuda Triangle of creativity. Have you rotated a lot of people or changed 20 agencies or consultants, and none of them worked? Maybe you are the cause.

As a leader (or client), you can create an environment where talent thrives, ideas flourish, and experimentation is embraced as a vital part of the learning process. We hope this article helps you move in that direction.

It’s a pleasure to collaborate with companies that foster such environments where we can co-create, propose bold ideas, explore possibilities, and present innovative initiatives.

If your company embodies this spirit, congratulations! And let us know?—?we’d love to collaborate and create something amazing together.

Thoughts?

Thanks for reading this Gratia snack?—?now create something amazing!

For a deep dive into this article, visit the podcast episode.

IT’S ALWAYS WITH WHOM?

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