The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety™

The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety is a roadmap for individuals and organizations to achieve and maintain high levels of inclusion and innovation. When leaders, teams, organizations, boards, schools – any social unit – pass through these four stages they become deeply inclusive cultures, with accelerated learning, contributions, and innovative problem-solving.

I am a certified 4 Stages of Psychological Safety practitioner. I coach, consult, speak and teach (adjunct faculty, graduate level ) on this practice.

It is Not Expen$ive to be Yourself

Psychological safety is the #1 variable in team performance and is an environment of high-respect and high permission to contribute – a zone of rewarded risk and vulnerability, where it is not expen$ive to be yourself.

The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety™ Survey

Psychological Safety has four stages and all teams possess some level based on a combination of 1) respect and 2) permission to participate as perceived by the members of the team.

• Stage 1: You feel included, accepted, and part of the team
• Stage 2: You feel safe to engage, ask questions, give and receive feedback
• Stage 3: Your feel free and able to contribute, using your skills, talents and abilities to make a meaningful difference
• Stage 4: You feel free and able to challenge the status quo –without the fear of being embarrassed, marginalized or punished in some way.

High-Intellectual Friction, Low-Social Friction

This survey provides insights into where the culture flourishes with rewarded vulnerability and where it may suffer with pockets of punished vulnerability. The survey concludes with a concrete action plan that identifies where your team is in its stage of development. The survey is followed by facilitated sessions to identify a psychological safety implementation plan in a 6-12 month time frame engaging coaching and team facilitation.