A Team Separated by Distance and Lacking Connection
The account support team of a European multinational corporation faced unique challenges. Based in Asia, its ten members were scattered across different parts of China, while their leader worked from Singapore. Many team members had joined during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when virtual work was the only option. As a result, they lacked strong interpersonal bonds, and several team members had never met in person.
Recognizing this gap, the team leader organized a “Building Psychological Safety” virtual workshop. The first step? Every team member participated in The Fearless Organization Scan, providing a clear picture of the team’s psychological safety across four key dimensions: Inclusion and Diversity, Willingness to Help, Attitude to Risk and Failure, and Open Conversations.
A Clear Framework for Change
The scan results became the foundation for an open and honest dialogue. The team came together to review their results and identify concrete action plans in each of the four dimensions. Everyone had a voice in these discussions.
The team wasn’t just looking to their leader for solutions; they recognized that fostering psychological safety required a collective effort. Each member reflected on what they personally needed to feel safe and supported, and what they could do to create that same environment for others.
By working together to define clear norms and behaviors, the team committed to practical steps to build a culture where all voices could be heard, risks could be taken without fear, and mistakes would be seen as opportunities to learn and grow.
Tangible Progress in Just Ten Months
Ten months later, the team reconvened to measure their progress. They repeated The Fearless Organization Scan and found measurable improvements:
- Inclusion and Diversity: from a median score of 70 to 80
- Willingness to Help: from 90 to 100
- Open Conversations: from 80 to 88
However, one domain showed a decline: Attitude to Risk and Failure dropped from 90 to 75. This became the focus of their next session, “Building Psychological Safety to Sustaining Psychological Safety in the Team.”
The team engaged in pair-sharing exercises, reflecting on questions like:
- “What causes you to feel that mistakes might be held against you?”
- “How can we support each other when mistakes happen?”
- “What can we do as a team to create a safe space for sharing risks and failures?”
Through open and honest conversations, the team recognized the need to normalize discussing failures as a pathway to learning. They co-created norms for how to respond when mistakes were shared, ensuring that these moments were met with curiosity and support rather than judgment.
A Team Transformed by Psychological Safety
The results of the second scan demonstrated the progress the team had made. But more importantly, the process highlighted the ongoing nature of building psychological safety. It’s not about perfection; it’s about consistent, collective effort.
The team embraced their shared responsibility to create a supportive and open environment. They acknowledged that setbacks—like the dip in Attitude to Risk and Failure—were opportunities to grow and adapt.
As a facilitator, my role was to provide the safe space for these critical conversations, where team members could take interpersonal risks, address “elephants in the room,” and collaborate on solutions. Together, they turned psychological safety from a concept into a daily practice, setting the foundation for a high-performing and resilient team culture.
A case study by Jasmine Liew of Breakthrough Catalyst
Is your team ready to foster a culture of psychological safety?
The Fearless Organization Scan provides a structured and safe way to assess your team’s psychological safety and identify actionable steps for improvement.
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