Psychological safety check-in: 7 questions to build a stronger team

Psychological safety in the workplace is becoming ever more a concern, as our understanding of mental health evolves. But as an employer, how can you be sure you are fostering a psychologically safe environment?  

What is psychological safety?

Psychological safety means employees feel safe to take risks, share ideas, and be themselves without fear of negative consequences. Use these questions to reflect on your team’s environment.

Read our article Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace for a more in-depth look at what psychological safety is.

As an employer, what can I do?

There are 7 questions you can ask your employees, either through an anonymous survey or in one-on-one meetings, that will allow you to see where concerns lie and provide guidance on what needs to be done to make any necessary improvements.

This tool supports ongoing conversations, not just a one-time survey to help your team thrive.

Step 1: Communicate the “why.”

Share with your team the process: 

“We’re using a short check-in to help us improve how we work - speaking up, learning from errors, and using everyone’s strengths. We want to make sure everyone feels safe to speak up, share ideas, and grow together.”

Step 2: Choose the format that fits your team size and style 

• Anonymous survey: 7 item survey (5 minutes).
• 1:1 guided conversation: Use the prompts provided; take notes as agreed with employee. This format may be more effective than a survey for teams with fewer than 10 employees. 

Confidentiality: If you survey employees, make it anonymous and share themes, not individual responses. In one-on- ones ask permission before taking notes and confirm how they’ll be used. Google Forms and Survey Monkey are two examples of free survey sites that you could use.

Step 3: Share the themes of the results – not the specifics

Keep your team informed: 

• Report overall score + 2–3 themes + 2–3 actions. Do not name individuals; confidentiality is key.
• Assign action items and deadlines for completion.
• Try a 1-page summary with scores, themes, and next steps.

Step 4: Follow through

• Re-check in 8–12 weeks. Celebrate progress; adjust actions.
• Even small changes—like adjusting meeting norms—can build trust over time.

Option 1 – Team Survey 

The 7 Question Check-In (with rating scale)

Suggestion: Do this survey anonymously through Google Forms or Survey Monkey.

Instructions: Circle one response for each statement.
Scale: 1 = Strongly Disagree · 2 = Disagree · 3 = Neutral · 4 = Agree · 5 = Strongly Agree

1.    If you make a mistake on this team, it is NOT held against you.
1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐

2.    Members of this team can bring up problems and tough issues.
1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐

3.    People on this team accept others for being different.
1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐

4.    It is safe to take a risk on this team.
1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐

5.    It is easy to ask other members of this team for help.
1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐

6.    No one on this team would deliberately act in a way that undermines my efforts.
1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐

7.    My unique skills and talents are valued and used when working with this team.
1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 ☐

Psychological Safety Score: Add all 7 ratings (range 7–35).

1. 29–35 (Strong): Generally healthy psychological safety.
2. 22–28 (Mixed): Some strengths; prioritize a few improvements.
3. 7–21 (Concern): Likely barriers to speaking up and learning.

Item analysis: Look for any items ≤ 3. These pinpoint your most actionable opportunities (e.g., if Q5 is low, focus on normalizing help seeking ).

Trends over time: Repeat the survey quarterly and track averages. The goal is steady improvement, not perfection.

Option 2 – One on One Conversation 

Use these prompts to explore each area without defensiveness. Pick 2–3 items that scored lowest or feel most relevant. Use open-ended questions and listen more than you talk.

Q1. Mistakes – “When errors happen, how do we typically respond? What would ‘learn fast, fix fast’ look like here?”
Q2. Raising issues – “What topics feel hard to bring up? What would make it easier?”
Q3. Acceptance – “Where might people feel they need to ‘fit in’ versus be themselves? Any norms we should rethink?”
Q4. Risk taking – “What small experiments could we try where it’s okay if they don’t work?”
Q5. Asking for help – “When was it hard to ask for help? How can we make seeking normal?”
Q6. No undermining – “Have you seen behaviours that chip away at trust (e.g., eyerolling, side comments)? How should we address them together?”
Q7. Using strengths – “Which of your strengths are underused? What project or task could tap into them?”

Manager micro scripts (psychologically safe responses):

• “Thanks for raising that—that’s exactly the kind of thing we need to hear early.”
• “Let’s treat this as data, not drama. What can we learn and adjust?”
• “If this experiment fails, we’ll document the learning and move on.”
• “I appreciate the courage in speaking up—no penalty for candour.”
• “Let’s explore that together—your insight helps us improve.”

Putting the process in action

Do:

• Model curiosity and humility; thank people for candour.
• Close the loop on raised issues - show what changed.
• Protect anonymity in team results.

Don’t:

• Ask for feedback and then debate it.
• Use the tool to rank or label individuals.
• Treat psychological safety as a one time survey - habits matter.

Below are quick wins and sustainable habits for each question. Choose 1–2 per quarter.

Q1. Mistakes not held against you

• Quick win: Introduce a 10 minute “What did we learn this week?” in team meetings.
• Habit: Share your own mistakes as a leader and the fix you’re trying.
• Remember: Separate accountability (fix the issue) from blame (punishing the person).

Q2. Raising problems & tough issues

• Quick win: Add a standing agenda item: “Risks & roadblocks.”
• Habit: Ask before deciding: “What are we missing?” and wait 5–7 seconds.
• Remember: Never punish the messenger; recognize constructive dissent.

Q3. Acceptance of differences

• Quick win: Create team “working agreements” (e.g., 1 person speaks at a time; no interruptions).
• Habit: Rotate meeting roles (facilitator, note taker) to balance voices.
• Remember: Intervene on micro aggressions in real time. Let them know how it affected you or others and remind the group of the kind of respectful behavior you all agreed to.

Q4. Safety to take risks

• Quick win: Launch a low stakes pilot with success and learning criteria.
• Habit: Debrief experiments with a neutral template: hypothesis → result → learning → next step.
• Remember: Never say “we tried that before”; ask “what’s different now?”

Q5. Ease of asking for help

• Quick win: Introduce “office hours” or a weekly help thread/channel.
• Habit: Praise help seeking and help giving publicly.
• Remember: Make workloads visible so asking for help isn’t seen as weakness.

Q6. No undermining behaviour

• Quick win: Align on “respectful challenge” rules (challenge ideas, not people).
• Habit: Address side conversations or sarcasm immediately, privately if needed.
• Remember: If patterns persist, use performance management; psychological safety isn’t permissiveness.

Q7. Using unique skills & talents

• Quick win: Run a 20 minute “strengths marketplace”—everyone lists 2 strengths and 1 area to stretch; match to upcoming work.
• Habit: In quarterly planning, map projects to strengths and development goals.
• Remember: Ensure equitable access to stretch roles, not just the loudest voices.

Resources

CFIB members can access multiple templates, posters and checklists in the Member Portal to help build psychological safety in the workplace:

• Psychological Health and Safety Statement and poster
• Respectful Workplace Statement and poster
• Code of Conduct
• DEI Statement
• Anti-harassment Policy

Not a CFIB member? Join today to access these and many other resources, tools, and discounts