Author:Cristina Niculescu

Promoting psychological safety in the workplace and how it supports innovation

I had the great pleasure of presenting in the first webinar of 2025 supported by PMI Romania, a topic of great interest, which has become even more important in this challenging period we are experiencing: “Psychological safety in the workplace and how it supports innovation”Although this concept has been discussed for decades, its relevance in today’s competitive work environment is greater than ever. With increasing demands and pressure in organizations, many employees experience physical and mental exhaustion, the so-called burnout. In this context, it is important for organizations to put psychological safety on their strategic agenda, integrating it into the management and development process of teams. Here are the topics discussed in the webinar:

• We defined the concept of psychological safety and why psychological safety is important in the workplace
• We have presented positive, or less positive, examples of implementing psychological safety in reputable companies.
• We discussed various strategies and practical suggestions to build a creative work environment and to implement them with our team.
• We didn’t forget to discuss the challenges we face, as leaders, in creating psychological safety in the team, but also in the organization, and what we can do to overcome these challenges.

In summary, the main directions we can follow are:

• Hiring the right people: it is important to look for both skills and the right attitude, people who will bring value to the organizational culture.
• Cultivating a culture of trust: As a leader, it is essential to promote open communication and transparency within teams.
• Active listening: Leaders must show genuine interest in the perspectives of others and respect their opinions.
• Providing constructive feedback: It is essential for leaders to focus on solutions and improvements, not criticism.
• Celebrating successes and failures alike: leaders also need to learn from mistakes and promote experimentation.
• Promoting vulnerability: Leaders must show by their own example that it is okay to make mistakes or ask for help when you need it.

This webinar provoked reflection and engagement from participants, underscoring the importance of continuing this crucial discussion.It is wonderful that PMI Romania organizes these monthly webinars where we address technical topics, specific to project management, but also soft skills, which are very important in our roles as team leaders. The PMI Romania team is a team that puts a lot of soul into all events and initiatives, a dynamic and helpful team, the experience with them specifically on the psychological safety seminar was extremely pleasant. We worked together on its planning, they came up with practical suggestions, and they moderated excellently throughout the webinar.