How to Foster More Psychological Safety?

Psychological safety is key for creating a workplace where employees feel safe to share ideas, admit mistakes, and challenge the status quo, without fear of negative consequences. But how do you cultivate it in practice? One powerful way is to use employee engagement surveys as a structured opportunity for open dialogue and trust-building. In this article, we explore how leaders can use engagement surveys to strengthen psychological safety step by step.

Use Employee Engagement Surveys to Build Psychological Safety

Amy Edmondson, a professor of leadership and organizational behavior at Harvard Business School, has shown how important psychological safety is for business success. But how do you strengthen psychological safety in your organization? If your company isn't naturally open about mistakes and uncertainties, where do you start?

A good place to start is by using follow-ups on employee engagement surveys as a training ground. These surveys give you a chance to practice making sure that everyone feels safe to speak up, which in turn makes employees more engaged.

Psychological Safety Starts with a Genuine Interest in Responses

Imagine asking your employees these questions directly. Would you just walk away without reacting? Of course not. You would listen and engage. That’s why you should see employee engagement surveys as a way to start open conversations and show that you care about what your employees have to say.

Case: A Dialogue Meeting in Birgitte’s Team

In Birgitte’s team, six employees are sitting in a circle around a table. They have set aside two hours to go through the latest employee engagement survey results.

Birgitte starts the meeting: “I hope each of you will share your thoughts and observations. I’m curious to understand, and today I will primarily listen.” The conversation flows easily until the topic of workload comes up. The youngest employee on the team shares that she feels overwhelmed with responsibility. As she speaks, she starts to cry. 

Birgitte looks visibly uncomfortable. She shuffles her papers, adjusts her chair, and says nothing. As the conversation moves forward, her behavior changes: She starts interrupting with comments like, “You have to understand that…”

After the meeting, Birgitte reflects: “I don’t understand why she cried. It seems so unprofessional. And she says she feels alone, but I was sitting right next to her!”

What could Birgitte have done instead?

This case shows a common challenge: A leader is faced with emotions and instinctively reacts defensively instead of staying curious.

So, what should Birgitte have done instead?

• Stay in the listening mode. When an employee shows vulnerability, it's a chance to show you care. A good strategy is to repeat and validate what the employee is saying: “It sounds like you are experiencing a lot of pressure. Can you tell me more?”

• Avoid defensive reactions. When Birgitte feels criticized, she could instead ask: “What could have helped you in that situation?”

• Use pauses effectively. If emotions run high, a brief pause allows for reflection before responding with curiosity.

Make Psychological Safety Part of Everyday Work

Employee engagement surveys are a great opportunity to practice psychological safety, but only if they are seen as more than just a data point, they should be an invitation to dialogue.

Here are three concrete steps you can take today:

1. Start your next engagement dialogue by saying: “I am here to listen. Tell me how you experience things.”

2. If an employee expresses vulnerability, respond with: “I’d like to understand that better. Can you explain more?”

3. Practice managing discomfort by taking a short pause when emotions arise and then coming back with a curious mindset.

By training these skills, you can create an environment where psychological safety becomes a natural part of daily work and strengthens employee engagement throughout the organization.