Imagine a workplace where every time you leaned into a tough conversation, someone congratulated you
You would literally get high fived walking back to your desk! Not because it was perfect. Not because it was easy. But because you showed up, spoke up, and stayed in the discomfort long enough to make progress.
It’s not a fantasy—it’s a new way of thinking about psychological safety.
We often mistake psychological safety for ease or harmony. But real safety—the kind that drives innovation, inclusion, and performance—is built on courage, not comfort.
Let’s be clear: What psychological safety is NOT
- Psychological safety is not a permission slip to say whatever you like without consequence
- It’s not an excuse to be offended by every challenge.
- And it’s definitely not a reason to avoid the hard stuff
So, what is psychological safety?
- It’s an environment where people can speak up with ideas, concerns, and mistakes without fear of being punished or humiliated
- It’s a culture that recognises how we speak up matters just as much as what we say and do
- It’s about enabling risk, not eliminating discomfort.
Think about that.
Real safety at work means being willing to feel uncomfortable for the right reasons —and having a team around you that can hold space for it.
⛔ Let’s stop waiting for conversations to be easier.
✅ Let’s start applauding the people who choose to have them anyway.
Because uncomfortable conversations aren’t a sign that something is wrong —they’re the pulse check of a healthy culture.
SO, NEXT TIME SOMEONE STEPS INTO A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION, DON’T JUST THANK THEM – CONGRATULATE THEM, THEY’RE DOING REAL WORK!
