Friday 12 Apr | 15:00-16:00

Format: Workshop
Stream: People
Content filters: Co-presented with patients, service users or carers; Recommended for those new to quality improvement; Recommended for those working at system level in QI

Psychological Safety and Kindness are both well-described, well-evidenced and increasingly worked-on themes. Instinctively, the two seem closely related, possibly even the same. But they are distinct – in nature, origin and contribution to performance and wider wellbeing.

It feels easier to be kind when we feel safe. Paradoxically, even in a ‘caring’ industry, being kind may feel—or even be—risky. Psychological safe environments are solid foundations for kindness, and we have not found any better tool to grow psychologically safe working environments than the choice and action of being kind. This session will explore this relationship and leave delegates with ideas and actions they can take back into their working lives.

As a result of this session, participants will be able to:

• Describe to self and colleagues the commonalities and differences between psychological safety and kindness


• Understand and be able to communicate why both matter, and are synergistic to each other


• Deploy tactics and strategies, whatever a participant’s role, to enhance the profile (visibility and deployment) of both psychological safety and kindness in their working lives

Amy Edmondson Harvard Business School, USA

Gabrielle Mathews North Middlesex University NHS Trust, England

James Mountford Galileo Global Education, France