Psychological safety lets team members ask questions, seek clarification, and request help without treating those actions as negative. It prevents misunderstood requirements and subtle bugs from reaching code review. section 4.4.4
Strengthen it through deliberate team practices:
- Discuss features thoroughly and define clear acceptance criteria before implementation. section 4.4.4
- Make questions and reasonable requests for help explicitly acceptable during development. section 4.4.4
- Invite junior, new, and quieter members to contribute through meetings, chat, written notes, or one-on-one conversations. section 4.4.4
A practical contrast
When a developer is unsure about a requirement, psychological safety means asking for clarification before coding rather than silently guessing. The team can support that question in a meeting, chat, written note, or private discussion. section 4.4.4
