Understanding the difference
“Just trust me.”
It’s a phrase that sounds reassuring — but in teams, trust and psychological safety aren’t the same thing.
Trust is personal. It’s the confidence we have in another person’s competence or integrity.
Psychological safety is collective. It’s about whether a group feels safe enough to take interpersonal risks — to admit mistakes, ask questions, challenge ideas, or say “I don’t know” without fear of embarrassment or punishment.
You can trust a colleague to do their job well but still not feel safe enough to say, “I’m struggling”. That’s the difference.
According to psychological safety expert Tom Geraghty, trust is necessary but not sufficient (Psych Safety by Iterum, 2020). It exists between individuals, while psychological safety exists within the group. Geraghty suggests thinking of it like this: trust is the rope that connects you to your climbing partner; psychological safety is the net that lets you risk the climb in the first place.
Building both takes time and consistency.
Show competence and care. Trust grows from reliability and empathy.
Create interdependence. Teams that rely on each other build trust faster.
Set clear expectations. Clarity breeds confidence. When everyone knows the goal and their role, safety increases.
Respond well to mistakes. How you react when someone slips up determines how safe others feel to take a chance next time.