The biggest risk to your leadership? A team that doesn’t feel safe to speak up.
You could have the fanciest strategies or the most optimistic mindset, but it won’t matter if your team doesn’t feel comfortable sharing ideas, raising concerns, and admitting mistakes.
Psychological safety is the key to successful leadership. One of the simplest—and most powerful—ways to build it is through regular one-on-one meetings.
Why psychological safety matters
Psychological safety is non-negotiable.
Take Google’s Project Aristotle, for example. This multi-year study of 180 teams found that the most powerful predictor of a team’s success wasn’t who was on the team or how talented they were. It was psychological safety.
When people feel safe, they contribute more ideas, speak up sooner when they see problems, and are more willing to experiment and innovate.
On the other hand, when psychological safety is missing, silence creeps in. Team members withhold ideas. They bury mistakes. They disengage at work. The result? A culture where people are doing the bare minimum and trying to keep a low profile.
One-to-ones are the missing ingredient
Many leaders think they’ve covered this by having an “open-door policy” or encouraging people to “speak up in meetings.”
But here’s the problem: not everyone feels comfortable speaking up, especially if they’re more introverted, junior, or unsure of how their idea will land. If their voice wasn’t heard in the past, they’ll hesitate to speak up again. And very few people feel comfortable knocking on the boss’s door to share a concern.
This is where one-to-one meetings are so powerful. They’re consistent. Safe. No door-knocking or raising a hand in a meeting. Just a private space where trust can be built conversation by conversation.
How regular one-to-ones build psychological safety
Done well, one-to-one meetings create the perfect environment for psychological safety. Here’s how:
- Consistency builds trust. When you prioritise one-to-ones, it shows your team members they’re valued and supported. It says, “I want to dedicate my time to you.”
- Confidentiality encourages honesty. A private conversation reduces the fear of judgment or embarrassment. Team members can raise concerns comfortably, without having to disturb you.
- Time supports deeper coaching conversations. One-to-one meetings create space for in-depth conversations that are harder to have in the flow of work. Challenges can be explored openly, and solutions can be co-created.
- Attention signals respect. Giving someone your undivided attention says, “Your voice matters” and reassures them that they’re worth your time and energy.
- A focus on growth unlocks openness. When these conversations focus on your team members’ growth and development, rather than just results, they will feel safer sharing their struggles and aspirations.
How to foster safety in your one-to-ones
Your mindset, focus, and preparation can make or break a one-to-one meeting. Follow these tips to make sure your one-to-ones hit the mark.
- Tune into your coaching mindset. Don’t rush straight from emails or meetings into a one-to-one. Take a moment to pause, reset, and leave distractions behind. Step in with the mindset of a coach—you’re curious, supportive, and ready to listen. When you’re fully present, your team member feels it, and that presence creates trust.
- Always prepare. Psychological safety isn’t built on “winging it.” Plan a few thoughtful prompts, questions, or discussion topics that show you’ve thought about your team member and their needs. Being prepared shows that the conversation matters and that you respect their time and contribution.
- Start with curiosity. Ask open questions like “How’s your week been?” or “What’s been challenging for you this week?” These questions encourage your team member to talk about what’s most important to them, not just what’s on your agenda.
- Listen more than you talk. One-to-ones should be their time, not yours. Practice active listening—make eye contact, nod, paraphrase what you’ve heard. The more you listen without interrupting, the safer they’ll feel to go deeper and share what’s really going on.
- Don’t just focus on performance metrics. If your one-to-ones become mini performance reviews, your team members will close up. Use this time to check in on their well-being, development, and ideas, not just their output. Ask what’s energising them, what’s blocking them, and what support they need from you.
- Normalise mistakes. Encourage your team members to talk about their mistakes, and treat them as opportunities for shared problem-solving. Say “Let’s work through this together and see what might help next time.” This builds trust that you’re there to support, not criticise.
- Follow up. Safety is built when words are backed up with actions. If someone shares a concern or idea, circle back in your next one-to-one. Following up shows you were listening, you took them seriously, and they can trust you with what they share.
When you approach one-to-ones this way, everything improves. Trust. Performance. And credibility. It’s a leadership superpower!
One-to-one tools make it easier
Most leaders want to have great one-to-ones but get derailed by a lack of time, structure, or ideas. Tools can solve that.
A good one-to-one platform can:
- provide structure for agenda-setting and note-taking
- prompt meaningful conversations with templates, short learning modules, and discussion topics
- guide leaders with coaching questions that make conversations deeper and more impactful
- keep a record of your conversations, tasks, and outcomes, so you have one less thing to remember when work gets busy.
Tools don’t replace the human side of leadership—they make it easier.
This is exactly what the RedSeed 1:1 Leadership development tool is designed to do. It’s your go-to for getting the most out of every one-to-one meeting. It handles all the admin—the agenda, notes, discussion topics, and more—so you can focus on the connection and conversations that build psychological safety.
Make one-to-ones your focus
Psychological safety doesn’t happen by accident or through ‘open-door policies’. It’s built through consistent actions, and one-to-one meetings are one of the most powerful of them all.
If your one-to-ones aren’t creating a safe space for your team to thrive, then it’s time to change that.
With the right mindset, habits, and tools, you can start utilising your one-to-ones for psychological safety, one conversation at a time.
