Table Of Contents

• Understanding Psychological Safety in the Workplace
• Benefits of Measuring Psychological Safety
• The Complete Psychological Safety Survey Template
• How to Administer the Survey
• Comprehensive Scoring Guide
• Interpreting the Results
• Action Planning Based on Survey Results
• Case Study: Psychological Safety Transformation
• Common Challenges and Solutions
• Conclusion: Building a Culture of Psychological Safety

Free Psychological Safety Survey Template With Complete Scoring Guide for Teams

In today's high-performance workplace, the concept of psychological safety has emerged as a critical factor in team success. Google's groundbreaking Project Aristotle identified psychological safety as the most important factor in effective teams—more significant than individual talent, experience, or even leadership. But how do you know if your team has it?

At iGrowFit, we've worked with over 450 Fortune 500 companies and witnessed firsthand how psychological safety transforms organizational culture and performance. Drawing on our extensive research and evidence-based methodologies, we've developed a comprehensive psychological safety survey template that allows you to accurately measure, score, and improve this crucial element within your teams.

This article provides you with our expert-designed psychological safety survey template, complete scoring guide, and actionable strategies to foster an environment where team members feel safe to take risks, speak up, and contribute their best work. Whether you're a team leader, HR professional, or organizational development specialist, these tools will help you build the foundation for innovation, engagement, and sustainable high performance.

Understanding Psychological Safety in the Workplace

Psychological safety, a term coined by Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson, refers to the shared belief that a team environment is safe for interpersonal risk-taking. It's the confidence that team members won't be embarrassed, rejected, or punished for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes.

In psychologically safe environments, team members:

• Feel comfortable expressing opinions without fear of negative consequences
• Can admit mistakes and learn from them openly
• Contribute ideas regardless of hierarchical position
• Challenge established ways of thinking constructively
• Trust that their colleagues have positive intentions

Our work at iGrowFit has consistently shown that psychological safety isn't just a 'nice-to-have' cultural element—it's a fundamental business driver. According to our research with 75,000+ employees across various industries, teams with high psychological safety demonstrate 23% greater innovation, 27% lower turnover, and 32% higher engagement scores.

Benefits of Measuring Psychological Safety

Regularly measuring psychological safety through structured assessments provides multiple advantages for organizations committed to developing their human capital:

Establishes a Baseline

You can't improve what you don't measure. A psychological safety survey provides a clear starting point from which to track progress over time. This baseline data becomes invaluable when evaluating the effectiveness of interventions and culture-building initiatives.

Identifies Specific Areas for Improvement

Rather than general assumptions about team dynamics, a well-designed survey pinpoints precise aspects of psychological safety that need attention. This targeted approach allows for more efficient resource allocation and focused improvement efforts.

Demonstrates Organizational Commitment

Simply conducting the survey signals to employees that psychological safety matters to leadership. This act alone can begin to shift perceptions and open conversations about creating a more supportive environment.

Provides a Common Language

The survey introduces terminology and concepts that teams can use to discuss interpersonal dynamics more effectively. This shared vocabulary helps teams address issues that might otherwise remain unspoken.

Enables Data-Driven Decision Making

In line with iGrowFit's evidence-based approach, survey data allows leaders to make informed decisions about team development rather than relying on intuition alone.

The Complete Psychological Safety Survey Template

Our psychological safety survey template incorporates dimensions from our proprietary ConPACT framework, combining the latest research with practical insights from our work with leading organizations. The survey uses a 5-point Likert scale where 1 = Strongly Disagree and 5 = Strongly Agree.

Survey Instructions

Provide these instructions to participants before they begin the survey:

This survey aims to assess the level of psychological safety within our team. Your honest responses will help us identify strengths and opportunities for improvement. All responses are confidential and will be reported only in aggregate form. Please rate your level of agreement with each statement based on your experience over the past three months.

Core Survey Questions

Risk-Taking and Vulnerability

1. Team members feel comfortable taking risks and trying new approaches.
2. People on this team are able to bring up problems and tough issues.
3. It is safe to take a risk on this team.
4. Team members are able to show vulnerability (e.g., admitting mistakes, uncertainties) without fear of negative consequences.

Open Communication

5. Different opinions and perspectives are valued in team discussions.
6. Team members feel comfortable expressing dissenting views.
7. People on this team never reject others for being different or thinking differently.
8. It is easy to ask other team members for help.

Learning Orientation

9. Mistakes are seen as opportunities for learning and growth rather than cause for criticism.
10. Team members regularly seek feedback from one another.
11. The team values continuous learning over looking good or being right.
12. When something goes wrong, we focus on solving the problem rather than assigning blame.

Trust and Respect

13. Team members demonstrate respect for each other's skills and knowledge.
14. People on this team respect each other's abilities and contributions.
15. Team members trust each other's intentions.
16. There is a high level of cooperation between team members.

Leadership Behavior

17. Leaders in our team acknowledge their own mistakes and limitations.
18. Leaders actively encourage input and feedback from team members.
19. Leaders show appreciation for team members who speak up with ideas or concerns.
20. Leaders protect team members from blame or criticism from outside the team.

How to Administer the Survey

For optimal results, follow these guidelines when administering the psychological safety survey:

Timing Considerations

Choose an appropriate time to conduct the survey when team members aren't overly stressed by deadlines or major changes. We recommend measuring psychological safety at regular intervals (e.g., quarterly or semi-annually) to track changes over time.

Distribution Methods

The survey can be administered through various platforms:

• Online survey tools (e.g., Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, Microsoft Forms)
• Your organization's existing feedback platform
• Paper surveys for environments with limited digital access

Ensure that whatever method you choose allows for anonymous responses to encourage candid feedback.

Anonymity and Confidentiality

Psychological safety measurement requires trust in the process itself. Clearly communicate how anonymity will be protected and who will have access to the results. For small teams (fewer than 5 members), consider aggregating results with other teams to ensure responses cannot be attributed to individuals.

Communication Strategy

When introducing the survey:

1. Explain the purpose and importance of psychological safety
2. Clarify how the results will be used
3. Set expectations for follow-up actions
4. Express gratitude for participation
5. Provide a timeline for sharing insights from the survey

Comprehensive Scoring Guide

Our scoring methodology provides both dimension-specific insights and an overall psychological safety score. Follow these steps to calculate and interpret the results:

Step 1: Calculate Individual Scores

For each respondent, calculate the average score for each dimension:

• Risk-Taking and Vulnerability: Average of questions 1-4
• Open Communication: Average of questions 5-8
• Learning Orientation: Average of questions 9-12
• Trust and Respect: Average of questions 13-16
• Leadership Behavior: Average of questions 17-20

Step 2: Calculate Team Dimension Scores

For each dimension, calculate the average score across all respondents. This gives you five dimension scores for the team.

Step 3: Calculate Overall Psychological Safety Score

The overall psychological safety score is the average of all five dimension scores, yielding a number between 1.0 and 5.0.

Step 4: Apply the Interpretation Scale

Use this scale to interpret your team's psychological safety level:

• 4.5 - 5.0: Exceptional psychological safety (Top 10% of organizations)
• 4.0 - 4.4: Strong psychological safety (Top 25% of organizations)
• 3.5 - 3.9: Moderate psychological safety (Average range)
• 3.0 - 3.4: Developing psychological safety (Improvement needed)
• 2.0 - 2.9: Low psychological safety (Significant concern)
• 1.0 - 1.9: Critical psychological safety issues (Urgent intervention required)

Interpreting the Results

Beyond the numerical scores, consider these qualitative insights when analyzing your survey results:

Dimension Analysis

Identify your strongest and weakest dimensions. This comparison provides insight into your team's specific psychological safety profile and where to focus improvement efforts.

Question-Level Review

Examine the highest and lowest scoring individual questions. These extremes often reveal specific behaviors or norms that either significantly contribute to or detract from psychological safety.

Distribution Patterns

Look at the distribution of responses, not just averages. Wide variations in responses to the same questions may indicate inconsistent experiences among team members or perception gaps between subgroups.

Comparative Analysis

If available, compare your results with:

• Previous survey results to track progress
• Other teams in your organization to identify best practices
• Industry benchmarks to understand your competitive position

Contextual Factors

Consider environmental factors that might influence your results, such as:

• Recent organizational changes
• Team composition changes
• External pressures or crises
• Leadership transitions

Action Planning Based on Survey Results

Transforming survey insights into meaningful change requires a structured approach. Based on our experience implementing psychological safety initiatives at over 450 companies, we recommend the following framework:

For Teams Scoring Below 3.0 (Foundation Building)

Priority actions for teams with low psychological safety:

1. Leadership Reset: Leaders should openly acknowledge the current state and make a personal commitment to change.

2. Basic Safety Protocols: Establish clear norms that prohibit interrupting, dismissing ideas, or personal criticism.

3. Structured Input Processes: Implement techniques like round-robin sharing or anonymous idea submission to ensure all voices are heard.

4. Quick Wins: Identify and address the lowest-scoring question with immediate, visible action to demonstrate commitment.

For Teams Scoring 3.0-3.9 (Strengthening)

For teams with moderate psychological safety:

1. Feedback Training: Provide team-wide training on giving and receiving constructive feedback.

2. Mistake Protocols: Develop a structured approach for discussing mistakes that focuses on learning rather than blame.

3. Recognition Systems: Implement formal recognition for behaviors that promote psychological safety, such as asking good questions or constructively challenging ideas.

4. Facilitated Retrospectives: Conduct regular team retrospectives with neutral facilitation to discuss team dynamics openly.

For Teams Scoring 4.0+ (Optimization)

Even high-performing teams can enhance psychological safety:

1. Advanced Dialogue Techniques: Train the team in sophisticated conversation methods like crucial conversations or polarity management.

2. Cross-functional Exposure: Create opportunities for team members to experience psychological safety practices in other teams or organizations.

3. Team Coaching: Provide team coaching focused on leveraging psychological safety for innovation and complex problem-solving.

4. Becoming Ambassadors: Develop team members as psychological safety advocates who can share best practices throughout the organization.

Case Study: Psychological Safety Transformation

To illustrate the practical application of our psychological safety assessment and intervention process, consider this real-world example from our client portfolio (with identifying details modified):

The Challenge

A multinational technology company's development team was struggling with missed deadlines and quality issues despite having highly skilled engineers. Initial observations suggested that team members were reluctant to voice concerns or admit knowledge gaps.

The Approach

Working with iGrowFit, the organization:

1. Administered our psychological safety survey, revealing an overall score of 2.7 (Low)
2. Identified particularly low scores in the

Measuring and improving psychological safety is not a one-time event but an ongoing commitment to creating an environment where team members can thrive. The free psychological safety survey template and scoring guide provided in this article give you the tools to begin this journey with confidence.

Implementing this survey is just the first step. The real value comes from the conversations it generates, the insights it provides, and most importantly, the actions you take based on the results. By regularly assessing psychological safety and addressing areas for improvement, you create a virtuous cycle of trust, open communication, and high performance.

As you move forward, remember that psychological safety is fundamentally about human connection and trust. While the survey provides data and direction, the transformation happens through authentic leadership, consistent behavior, and genuine care for team members' wellbeing and success.

We encourage you to download and use this free psychological safety survey template as a starting point for building the kind of team environment where innovation flourishes, challenges are addressed openly, and everyone contributes their best work.

Ready to take your team's psychological safety and performance to the next level? Visit iGrowFit to learn more about our comprehensive Employee Assistance Programs and how our team of experts can help you develop a customized psychological safety initiative for your organization. Our evidence-based approach has helped over 450 Fortune 500 companies and impacted more than 75,000 employees worldwide. Let us help you build the psychological capital that drives sustainable high performance.