© Arrk Group 2017www.arrkgroup.com
Psychological safety:
What it is and how we can create it
Jake Irlam-Hughes
Find me on
© Arrk Group 2017www.arrkgroup.com
© Arrk Group 2017www.arrkgroup.com
We don’t want to look…
Ignorant
Incompetent
Intrusive
Negative
© Arrk Group 2017www.arrkgroup.com
We don’t want to look… So we…
Ignorant Don’t ask questions
Incompetent Don’t admit weakness or mistakes
Intrusive Don’t offer ideas
Negative Don’t critique the status quo
© Arrk Group 2017www.arrkgroup.com
© Arrk Group 2017www.arrkgroup.com
© Arrk Group 2017www.arrkgroup.com
© Arrk Group 2017www.arrkgroup.com
Conversational turn-taking Average social sensitivity
© Arrk Group 2017www.arrkgroup.com
https://rework.withgoogle.com/blog/five-keys-to-a-successful-google-team/
© Arrk Group 2017www.arrkgroup.com
▪ Frame work as a learning problem
▪ Admit mistakes and fallibility
▪ Model curiosity
▪ Ask for feedback regularly
▪ Measure psychological safety
▪ Just talk about it!
Why not try…
▪ Social contracts
▪ Fist of Five
▪ The 6 Thinking Hats
▪ Reflected best self
▪ Retrospectives
▪ Planning poker
© Arrk Group 2017www.arrkgroup.com

Psychological Safety

  • 1.
    © Arrk Group2017www.arrkgroup.com Psychological safety: What it is and how we can create it Jake Irlam-Hughes Find me on
  • 2.
    © Arrk Group2017www.arrkgroup.com
  • 3.
    © Arrk Group2017www.arrkgroup.com We don’t want to look… Ignorant Incompetent Intrusive Negative
  • 4.
    © Arrk Group2017www.arrkgroup.com We don’t want to look… So we… Ignorant Don’t ask questions Incompetent Don’t admit weakness or mistakes Intrusive Don’t offer ideas Negative Don’t critique the status quo
  • 5.
    © Arrk Group2017www.arrkgroup.com
  • 6.
    © Arrk Group2017www.arrkgroup.com
  • 7.
    © Arrk Group2017www.arrkgroup.com
  • 8.
    © Arrk Group2017www.arrkgroup.com Conversational turn-taking Average social sensitivity
  • 9.
    © Arrk Group2017www.arrkgroup.com https://rework.withgoogle.com/blog/five-keys-to-a-successful-google-team/
  • 10.
    © Arrk Group2017www.arrkgroup.com ▪ Frame work as a learning problem ▪ Admit mistakes and fallibility ▪ Model curiosity ▪ Ask for feedback regularly ▪ Measure psychological safety ▪ Just talk about it! Why not try… ▪ Social contracts ▪ Fist of Five ▪ The 6 Thinking Hats ▪ Reflected best self ▪ Retrospectives ▪ Planning poker
  • 11.
    © Arrk Group2017www.arrkgroup.com