Accountability and Trust: Foundations of Psychological Health and Safety

There is a common misperception that in a psychologically safe workplace, people always feel good, they don’t feel discomfort and they are rarely challenged. 

It is natural to feel a degree of uncertainty and discomfort when we have expectations to meet, and we are held accountable for our work and behaviour. Sometimes we need to have difficult managing and coaching conversations that can cause employees to feel uneasy, but they don’t have to feel unsafe.

In a healthy workplace with a strong culture, employees move through these feelings with the comfort of knowing they are supported. They understand:

• • What is expected of them

  • How they are held accountable

  • How they can learn, grow and gain experience

  • How they will be supported if they struggle or fall short

  • How mistakes are treated and how they can learn and improve

  • What resources and support are available if they are feeling stressed or overwhelmed

When the answers to these questions are clear, discomfort becomes manageable rather than dangerous.

Accountability is a protective factor that promotes psychological safety

One of the most damaging myths is that accountability and psychological safety are opposites. In reality, fair accountability is a protective factor.

When trust is present, feedback and accountability may feel challenging but survivable and they can fuel growth and resilience. When expectations are fair and consistently applied and feedback is about improvement, employees know they will be supported whether they succeed or fall short. And, they trust that even during difficult conversations they will be treated with dignity.  

When people feel safe, are more likely to take responsibility and engage in learning and adusting behaviour.

Ambiguity is the biggest threat to psychological safety

The greatest threat to psychological safety is ambiguity. If employees don’t understand these things, they are more likely to become disengaged, avoid responsibility and interpret feedback as harassment or bullying. Lack of clarity and communication can cause employees to feel:

• • Surprised by expectations

  • Judged instead of coached

  • Corrected without clarity

  • Punished inconsistently

  • Unsure about what has gone wrong and how to fix the situation

These feelings can cause conflict to escalate, making it difficult for employees to thrive and managers to have the critical conversations that help employees learn and grow.

Eventually, accountability will erode, resentment will build and your workplace culture will weaken.

Hold yourself accountable for building safe and trusting relationships

As leaders, you can’t avoid difficult conversations, but you can create a psychologically safe environment by:

• • Setting expectations early

  • Defining behavioural standards clearly

  • Normalizing feedback and learning

  • Building confidence and resilience

  • Defining what good looks like by describing desired behaviours

  • Address issues early, don’t wait for frustration, confusion and conflict to build

  • Talk about standards and expectations in team and organization meetings so people understand they are applied consistently and fairly

When you lay this foundation, employees are more likely to believe that even though difficult conversations are uncomfortable, they are not the end of the world and they can move through them successfully.

Employees also have a role to play in building psychological safety

Talk to employees about the role they play in creating a safe, productive environment. Let them know that sometimes they will feel discomfort when they are learning. Encourage them to seek clarity if they are unsure about an expectation or an issue, rather than making assumptions. Remind them that feedback is not a reflection of their personal worth and if they need support to ask for it early rather than waiting until they become overwhelmed.

In psychologically safe environments, hard moments feel safer, more honest and more productive because employees feel supported through normal human emotions and have a clear understanding of expectations, setting them up to succeed.

 Get to know the authors – Dr. Bill Howatt