Challenger safety satisfies the basic human need to make things better. It’s the support and confidence we need to ask questions such as, “Why do we do it this way?” “What if we tried this?” or “May I suggest a different way?” It allows us to feel safe to challenge the status quo without retaliation or the risk of damaging our personal standing or reputation. As the highest level of psychological safety, it matches the increased vulnerability and personal risk associated with challenging the status quo. When we create challenger safety, we give air cover in exchange for candor.
Your team is excited to tackle new problems and challenge old ways of thinking.
You have a silent team that’ll execute for you, but is scared to innovate.
Your people aren’t going to speak up until they know it’s safe to do so. Before you ask your teams to be brave, make sure that you’ve created an environment that’s ready for their bravery.
Are you ready to be wrong? We shouldn’t look to leaders to have all the answers. But we should expect them to draw out those answers by tapping into the creative potential of the organization.
Explore content and resources related to each of The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety™