How to Create Psychological Safety for New Hires, Quiet Team Members, and Distrustful Teams

Whether you’re onboarding new employees who come from less supportive environments, encouraging quieter team members to speak up, or trying to rebuild trust in a team that’s been fractured, there are concrete steps you can take to foster a culture where everyone feels safe to contribute.

Internal and External Factors of Psychological Safety

Before we get to the specific strategies, it’s important to understand that psychological safety is shaped by two key factors: internal and external. As a leader, recognizing both is crucial to creating an environment where your team can truly thrive.

• Internal factors of psychological safety are the things every person is individually responsible for: their personality or “wiring,” understanding how past experiences impact them today, and developing mental maturity.  Personal bravery is often required to break old patterns and engage with the team, which may require some coaching from you as the leader.

• External factors of psychological safety are the things that happen in the work environment: what behaviors get rewarded, ignored, or punished; what stories get told; what the unwritten rules are. Even subtle cues (like eye rolls, a dismissive comment, or who gets praised in a meeting) teach people what’s safe to do. Leaders need to be aware of these dynamics to create a culture where psychological safety thrives.

Now, let’s dive into three key areas where you can take immediate action.

Tip 1: Help New Employees Feel Safe

Your role as a leader for any new employee is to help them understand the culture - and that starts before you even hire them!

• Set clear expectations—beyond the technical skills: Most onboarding programs focus on technical skills, but how do you onboard people for your culture? From the beginning (including the interview process), clearly communicate that openness, feedback, and risk-taking are valued. Explain the unwritten rules of your culture—like how failure is treated, how feedback is exchanged, and the importance of vulnerability. Teach them the skills they need to participate in a psychologically safe environment, such as how to give and receive feedback or how to engage in healthy conflict.

• What gets modeled: Our brains are wired to pick up on what behaviors are accepted or ignored in a new environment. When people join your team, they will observe others and learn the “unwritten rules” quickly. For example, if new hires hear “Whatever Selena says, just go along with it” or notice that no one speaks up when feedback is requested, they’ll adjust their behavior accordingly. Ensure the behaviors you want to encourage—like openness and constructive feedback—are being modeled consistently across the team.

• Create a buddy system: Pair new employees with a team member who can help them navigate the cultural nuances of your organization. A mentor who embodies the team’s values can guide new hires in understanding how to engage safely and productively.

Tip 2: Encourage Quieter Team Members to Speak Up

Not everyone feels comfortable contributing in the same way; some team members may naturally be quieter. Here’s how you can create conditions for everyone to feel safe contributing.

• Get curious about why they’re quiet: Before jumping to conclusions, explore why certain team members tend to be quieter. Do they prefer to think more deeply before speaking? If so, provide a clear agenda in advance so they have time to prepare their thoughts. Are some people dominating the conversation? Build awareness around this, both for yourself and the team, and find ways to break that pattern by giving everyone an equal opportunity to contribute.

• Provide multiple ways to participate: Use varied communication methods to engage quieter team members. Offer smaller group discussions, ask everyone to write their comment on a post-it note (real or electronic) before the discussion begins, or provide follow-up channels to give alternative ways to contribute.

• Build reflection time into meetings: Some individuals need time to process their thoughts before sharing (and couldn’t we all benefit from spending a bit more time on our response before speaking up?). Build quiet reflection moments into meetings after posing a big question, or pair team members to discuss ideas before sharing with the larger group. This allows more reserved team members to organize their thoughts in a lower-pressure setting.

• Recognize contributions: When quieter team members do speak up, make sure to acknowledge their input with a “Thanks for that comment.” This recognition reinforces their value and encourages further engagement.

Tip 3: Build Trust Where It’s Been Broken

Rebuilding trust in environments where it has been broken can feel like walking on shattered glass. People become cautious and defensive, avoiding risks and conversations that could help the team move forward. Here’s how you can begin to rebuild trust and create psychological safety.

• Create clean agreements: Broken trust often stems from broken agreements, whether intentional or not. A missed deadline, an unkept promise, or an unclear expectation can lead to feelings of betrayal, much like stepping on broken glass. To rebuild trust, create “clean agreements”—specific, mutual commitments that both sides agree to and understand. Clear, explicit agreements set a foundation for accountability and trust. You will likely also need to spend time cleaning up those past broken agreements by acknowledging they exist, apologizing for your role, and making reparations. 

• Be transparent and consistent: Trust is rebuilt through consistency. Be transparent about your decisions and follow through on what you commit to. Inconsistent behavior only deepens distrust.

• Build small wins (and don’t get discouraged by setbacks): Rebuilding trust and shifting culture takes time. Establish small, achievable goals that build momentum and reinforce progress. But don’t be discouraged by setbacks. Just as the culture didn’t deteriorate overnight, it won’t be fixed overnight, either. Understand that in times of stress or overwhelm, people may fall back into old habits. The key is to stay consistent and patient.

Psychological safety is essential for high-performing, engaged teams. As a leader, your responsibility is to create external conditions where safety can thrive and provide coaching to influence internal conditions. By implementing these tips today, you can create a culture where everyone feels safe to speak up, take risks, and grow.