Speaking Up, Showing Up: Redefining Psychological Safety In The Workplace

How leaders can foster trust, encourage feedback, and build truly inclusive teams

Have you ever hesitated to speak up when you questioned your colleague's or manager’s direction or idea or feared challenging the status quo? That moment of silence, rooted in fear or second-guessing, can leave you feeling invisible or demoralized. When silence becomes the norm, it stifles curiosity, collaboration, creativity, and connection. 

A psychologically safe workplace, on the other hand, empowers people to take personal risks without fear of punishment or judgment, perceived or real. According to Accenture, teams with high psychological safety experience 76% more engagement, 50% more productivity, and 74% less stress. It’s not just a feel-good initiative—it’s foundational to a strong, inclusive culture and a highly effective team.

Psychological safety is the bedrock of any effective diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy. When people feel safe, they show up fully. They speak up, share perspectives, admit missteps, and co-create belonging.

But creating that kind of culture isn’t passive—it takes executive commitment, leadership accountability, system-wide intentionality, and constant feedback loops. Here are a few principles to guide the way forward: 

Transparency Is Key to Inclusivity (Trust)

Gartner affirms that when employees trust their leaders, engagement rises, productivity improves, and performance follows. But trust doesn’t appear on its own. It’s often a direct result of transparency. Leaders who share the “why” behind decisions—when and where they can—bring employees into the fold in a more meaningful way. That openness signals trust, strengthens alignment, and fosters a sense of shared purpose.

Of course, not every decision can be fully unpacked. But even in those moments, there are ways to build trust. For example, I may not be able to share all the behind-the-scenes details of a change, but I can express why I believe in the direction we’re headed—or how I see it affecting our people. These small, everyday signals of honesty and reflection can create a culture where feedback flows freely and transparency becomes the norm.

Safety Fuels the Feedback Cycle

Data plays a crucial role in building inclusive cultures—ones where diversity is celebrated, inequities are acknowledged, and meaningful change is possible. But gathering that data requires trust. According to SurveyMonkey research, nearly four in ten workers (39%) don’t feel comfortable giving open and honest feedback to HR. That’s a signal: we can’t expect transparency from employees if we haven’t created the psychological safety they need to speak freely.

One way to break down those barriers is by creating safe spaces for dialogue. At SurveyMonkey, we host small-group conversations called Curiosity Chats throughout the year. These are intentional meetings between senior leaders and employees to foster genuine connection. These informal, intimate sessions focus on a shared theme and allow participants to speak candidly. We’ve seen this build empathy, surface new insights, and strengthen trust across our organization.

The Feedback Cycle Is an Infinite Circle, Not a Straight Line

Employee feedback isn’t the end of the conversation, it’s the beginning. What matters just as much as gathering input is what happens next. Leaders must share back what they learned and explain how that information will be used going forward, even if no action will be taken. Closing the loop tells employees that their feedback was received, is valued, and is informing workplace decisions to enhance their experiences.

I also find that when feedback doesn’t lead to immediate action, employees appreciate being told why. This reinforces transparency, strengthens relationships, and encourages continued dialogue. Feedback is not a one-time transaction—it’s a continuous, trust-building cycle.

Safety and Inclusion Aren’t Tied to Office Visibility 

As workplace models evolve, one thing remains clear: psychological safety and inclusion should be constants, no matter where or how employees work. Human connection isn’t confined to a physical space; it’s built through intentional actions, however small they may seem.

Each morning, I make it a point to greet remote teammates on Slack by saying “good morning” before diving into work. It’s a simple, small gesture but a powerful reminder that people come first. These everyday moments, repeated over time, help foster a culture of belonging where everyone can be their full selves, do their best work, and truly thrive.

Blame-free Work Environments Promote Psychological Safety

Blame-free workplaces give employees permission to take risks, share bold ideas, and learn from mistakes without fear of ridicule or retribution. They create space for feedback that’s constructive, not punitive. They also allow leaders to show grace, empathy, and validation as essential tools for building psychological safety.

But these environments must be balanced with accountability. Without it, mistakes can be glossed over, and performance may suffer. The goal isn’t to remove responsibility, it’s to reframe it. Organizations can reinforce this balance by implementing clear policies, offering training, and modeling the behavior from the top and at every leadership level. When blame is removed but standards remain high, people are empowered to grow, speak up, and succeed.

All Leaders Are Responsible for Safety and Inclusion

Every organizational leader is responsible for cultivating a safe and inclusive environment where employees feel empowered. To make that expectation real and measurable, it’s useful to create a clear, multi-year strategy that defines specific goals for each leader and team. Progress toward those goals should be reflected in every one-on-one meeting and annual performance review to ensure shared accountability at all levels.

If this approach meets resistance, it’s worth reminding teams of the upside. Safety and inclusion fuel financial performance, sharpen decision-making, and improve talent attraction and retention. The data supports it: employees are 152% more likely to try new ways of working when organizations are diverse, according to McKinsey. 

It’s a win for everyone when individuals across the organization see the expanse of their role and how they can positively contribute to safety and inclusion. And when senior leaders normalize a culture of shared accountability, they reinforce the expectation that we’re collectively responsible for success. 

Consider a Status Check

When employees feel psychologically safe at work, trust and inclusion have space to flourish. As we move into the second half of the calendar year, I encourage leaders to pause and reflect: How safe do your teams truly feel? How safe do you feel on the teams that you’re a part of?

Invite honest conversations. Ask about lived expertise. Make space for feedback, and commit to learning from it. Then, most importantly, act.

Psychological safety isn’t a one-time initiative. It’s an ongoing commitment. But when leaders listen to understand and employees feel empowered to speak up, we create the conditions for lasting inclusion, innovation, and impact.

Antoine Andrews, Chief Diversity & Social Impact Officer at SurveyMonkey, joined in 2021 to lead the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and social impact initiatives. Previously, he was chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer at Year Up—a nonprofit that helps young adults gain the skills to reach their potential. He also held DEI leadership roles at Gap Inc., Symantec, and Nike, where he built multi-year DEI strategies and held leadership accountable for systemic change. He has expertise in talent development, executive coaching, cultural learning, and social impact and diversity. Antoine is a native of Newark, New Jersey, and a Rutgers-Newark graduate.