What is it and what can I do? In 2012, as profiled in this frequently-cited NYTimes article, Google conducted a large company-wide research study to understand why certain teams performed better than others. And what they found was that the most significant differentiating factor among the highest-performing teams was the team’s level of psychological safety. Psychological safety drives better performance and better business outcomes. What is psychological safety? Psychological safety is the quality of a team environment where people can speak up and share ideas - even risky or challenging ideas - without fear. Amy Edmondson, a professor at Harvard Business School and advisor at August, is the world’s experts on psychological safety. Edmondson describes psychological safety as the belief that a person will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas questions, concerns, or mistakes.