Psychological safety is an environment of rewarded vulnerability. As the pandemic continues, the demand for psychological safety increases. Interest in the concept is giving way to demand for the condition. Employees now see psychological safety as a term of employment.

Specifically, three forces are exploding the demand for psychological safety:

1. The Vulnerability of Self-Disclosure

The pandemic is forcing an unprecedented level of self-disclosure, causing our personal and professional lives to bleed into each other.

2. Disillusionment with Social Hierarchy

Many people are choosing autonomy and contribution over status and position. They want a career web, not a career ladder. They want mobility, not just upward mobility, in which lateral moves are just as rewarding and celebrated as vertical moves.

3. An Urgent Need for Mental and Emotional Wellbeing

Much of the world is experiencing a mental and emotional health crisis. As we come to acknowledge safety as a holistic concept that includes both physical and psychosocial risk factors, organizations must become more deliberate in creating an environment of psychological safety.