The document discusses the importance of psychological safety as a foundational element for continuous improvement in organizations. It highlights that psychological safety enables employees to voice concerns and contribute without fear of repercussions, which enhances engagement and promotes problem-solving. The text outlines four stages of psychological safety and emphasizes that cultivating this environment is essential for fostering innovation and learning from mistakes.

1. Psychological Safety:
A Pre-Condition
for Continuous
Improvement
Hosted by
Host: Morgan Wright
Customer Marketing Manager
Morgan.Wright@KaiNexus.com
Presenter: Mark Graban
Author, The Mistakes That Make Us
Senior Advisor, KaiNexus
Mark@KaiNexus.com

2. 4
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4. About Mark Graban
• Senior Advisor, KaiNexus (Since June 2011)
• Author, Speaker, Consultant
• Host of podcasts, including “My Favorite Mistake”
• Also the author of:
• Lean Hospitals
• Healthcare Kaizen
• Practicing Lean
• Measures of Success
• B.S. Industrial Engineering, Northwestern Univ.
• M.S. Mechanical Engineering, MIT
• M.B.A., MIT

5. PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY
A Pre-Condition for Continuous Improvement
Slides & More: MarkGraban.com/KaiNexus2023
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8. PDCA?

9. WHY?

11. Toyota Production System
“We define TPS as an
organizational culture of
highly engaged people
solving problems or
innovating to drive
performance.”
Amy Edmondson
Harvard Business School
The Fearless Organization
Jamie Bonini
Toyota / TSSC

12. HOW DO WE
ENGAGE PEOPLE?
“highly engaged people”

13. “IT’S YOUR
PROFESSIONAL
OBLIGATION TO
SPEAK UP”

14. Speaking up isn’t a matter
of character or courage…
it’s a function of
CULTURE

15. Speaking up isn’t a matter
of character or courage…
it’s a function of
CULTURE

17. What’s Required for Andon Pulls?
PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY
+
PROBLEM SOLVING

18. For a World-Class “Lean” Culture
“[Toyota believes] people must …
feel psychologically and
physically safe … they must
believe that any concerns they
have will be taken very seriously”

19. What is Psychological Safety?
• “Psychological safety is a belief that
one will not be punished or humiliated
• for speaking up with
– ideas
– questions
– concerns or
– mistakes.” Amy Edmondson
Harvard Business School
The Fearless Organization

20. Google’s Project Aristotle
• What makes teams there most successful?
PSYCHOLOGICAL
SAFETY

21. What is Psychological Safety?
“A culture of
rewarded
vulnerability”
Timothy R. Clark
LeaderFactor
The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety

22. What is Vulnerability?
EXPOSURE TO
THE RISK OF
HARM OR LOSS

23. SAY SOMETHING KEEP QUIET

24. Do I Feel Psychologically Safe?

25. Does a Team Have Psychological Safety?
EACH.
PERSON.
DECIDES.

26. Cultivating Psychological Safety?
THIS IS A
SAFE SPACE

27. You Can Improve Psychological Safety
Modeling
Vulnerable
Acts
Rewarding
Vulnerable
Acts
MAKE THESE HABITS HAPPEN

29. “You can’t have a
culture of
continuous
improvement
without learning
from mistakes.”
Greg Jacobson
CEO and co-founder, KaiNexus

31. You Can Improve Psychological Safety
Modeling
Vulnerable
Acts
Rewarding
Vulnerable
Acts

32. Larry Culp, CEO of General Electric
“I want to hear the
bad news. I want
to hear it fast.”

33. Larry Culp, CEO of General Electric
“The moment of truth:
Do you shoot the
messenger, or do you
listen even if you are
unhappy?”

34. Root Cause of C.I. Struggles?
PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY
+
PROBLEM SOLVING

35. ALWAYS
START
WITH 5S

36. ALWAYS
START
WITH 5S?

37. ALWAYS START
WITH
PSYCHOLOGICAL
SAFETY

38. When We Only Have One…
PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY
+
PROBLEM SOLVING

41. A Powerful Combination
PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY
+
PROBLEM SOLVING

42. Serious Safety Events (U.S. Hospital)

43. What’s Required for C.I.?
PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY
+
PROBLEM SOLVING

44. Can We Be Experimentalists?

45. Is it Safe to Say?
WE COULD BE WRONG
LET’S TEST IT AND SEE…
THAT DIDN’T WORK AS…

46. You Can Measure Psychological Safety
80th percentile
Possible scoring range is -100 to +100

47. Teams Progress Through 4 Stages
1. Inclusion Safety: Can I be my authentic self?
2. Learner Safety: Can I learn and grow?
3. Contributor Safety: Can I contribute and create value?
4. Challenger Safety: Can I be candid about change?
… all without fear of being embarrassed,
marginalized, or punished in some way.

48. You Can Measure the 4 Stages
Percentile: 74th 81st 76th 77th
Possible scoring range is -100 to +100

49. You Can’t Jump Ahead to Stage 4!
Research-
based
progression

50. You Can Improve Psychological Safety
Modeling
Vulnerable
Acts
Rewarding
Vulnerable
Acts

51. Stage 1: Inclusion Safety
• I am accepted as a member of my team
• I am treated with respect
• I feel included by the people I work with

52. WITHOUT
INCLUSION SAFETY
The pain centers of the brain are activated

53. Stage 2: Learner Safety
• I am allowed to learn from my mistakes
• I feel comfortable asking questions
• My team supports my efforts to learn

54. WITHOUT
LEARNER SAFETY
Our instinct to self-censor kicks in

55. Stage 3: Contributor Safety
• My team allows me to do my job
• My team values my contribution
• I am encouraged to contribute as much as I
can in my role

56. WITHOUT
CONTRIBUTOR SAFETY
We freeze our discretionary efforts due to
fear of social and emotional harm

57. Stage 4: Challenger Safety
• I can take reasonable risks without being
punished
• I feel safe disagreeing with the way my team
does things
• I have the freedom to challenge the status quo

58. WITHOUT
CHALLENGER SAFETY
There’s a high cost to
curiosity and creativity
AND CAREERS!

59. What’s Required for C.I.?
PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY
+
PROBLEM SOLVING

60. This Results In
HIGHLY ENGAGED PEOPLE
+
IMPROVING & INNOV
ATING

61. LET’S DO IT

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63. blog.kainexus.com

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65. Q&A Time
• Slides & More:
http://www.markgraban.com/KaiNexus2023
• Email: Mark@KaiNexus.com
• Podcast: MistakesPodcast.com
• Book: MistakesBook.com