Psychological Safety – Live – Wall & Street

During this episode of Wall & Street Live we hosted Marina Capizzico-founder of Primate Consultingto discuss a central and often overlooked topic in business management: psychological safety. According to Capizzi, it is the perception of being able to freely express one’s thoughtsask questions and share mistakes within a work context without fear of repercussions. «When we perceive sufficient psychological safety, we feel free to express ourselves and compare ourselves. This not only improves individual performance, but has an exponential impact on the quality of team performance,” he explained.

Capizzi underlined how in modern organizations work is intrinsically collective. The paradigm according to which performances are exclusively individual is outdated: «Today performances are above all collective. We continually work in relationship with others, even if not physically present. Psychological safety is the ground on which excellent performances are built.” In this context, one of the most critical aspects is error management. «In current work contexts, where people do not perceive psychological safety, mistakes are not shared, and this can lead to very serious consequences. We need a culture that values ​​mistakes as a learning tool”, he underlined.

Author of the preface of the Italian edition of “The right mistake” by Amy EdmondsonMarina Capizzi described the link between psychological safety and error management, defining the latter as a “science of failing well”. Edmondson, explained Capizzi, distinguishes between unacceptable errors, preventable errors and intelligent errors, the latter fundamental for innovating and growing. “We talk about identifying safe areas to experiment and prepare for failure in a responsible way,” he continued. Psychological safety, however, does not mean permissiveness or impunity. «It’s not about saying everything that comes into your head without consequences. It’s about feeling responsible for expressing opinions, ideas or difficulties, even when it may be difficult,” he remarked.

In the context of small and medium-sized Italian businesses, there is no shortage of challenges. However, Capizzi highlighted that promoting psychological safety is a beneficial strategy for companies of all sizes. “Motivating people to contribute to results brings benefits to everyone, improving engagement and performance,” he noted. A crucial step, according to Capizzi, concerns the evolution of traditional hierarchies towards more autonomous structures. «The main challenge is to redistribute decision-making autonomy. We must create contexts in which people can discuss, take responsibility for mistakes and make decisions quickly when necessary,” he highlighted. «The transformation of our organizations requires empathetic leadership and an evolution of strategies, adapting them to the reality of each company», he concluded.

Gian Maria De Francesco