Compassion in a T-Shirt
Episode: What Psychological Safety Really Means | Majella Greene
Host: Dr Stan Steindl
Guest: Majella Greene
Date: September 26, 2025
Overview
In this episode, Dr. Stan Steindl sits down with Majella Greene—social worker, therapist, trainer, and thought leader in psychological safety—to explore what psychological safety truly means, why it matters for individuals and groups, and how it connects to the practice of compassion. The conversation is thoughtful, practical, and warm, drawing from personal experiences, professional insights, and even beekeeping as metaphor. Together, they offer listeners clear advice for cultivating both inner and collective environments where care, courage, and creativity can thrive.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Defining Psychological Safety: Courage to Show Up
- Courage to Show Up: Majella describes psychological safety as the "courage to show up," even when fear or anxiety is present. It's not about being fearless, but about choosing to participate despite trepidation. (03:05)
- Quote: "You can be fearful and still speak." —Majella Greene (03:18)
- Safety vs. Avoidance: Often, people equate safety with keeping their heads down and not participating. Majella points out that this "avoidance" is actually a response to threat, not true safety. True psychological safety is about feeling empowered to step forward and be heard. (03:21-04:28)
Individual vs. Collective Responsibility
- Internal vs. External: Psychological safety has internal components (values, confidence, willingness to speak) and external ones (the environment’s level of encouragement and acceptance).
- Quote: "The collective responsibility, really, you have no control over… You can create environments where you encourage people to speak their minds and practice not reacting." —Majella Greene (06:20)
- Power and Systemic Issues: Who holds power—and how it’s wielded—shapes psychological safety. The environment matters, and it's essential to notice both what’s said and what’s left unsaid. (09:24-11:08)
Cues for Psychological Safety
- Observe What's Missing: Notice the unsaid, unspoken tensions, and where power dynamics silence voices.
- Somatic Awareness: Tune into bodily sensations—unease, tension, or relaxation—as cues about safety. (11:08)
- Response to Difference: How difference is met is fundamental. Environments that expect assimilation rather than embracing diversity foster suppression, not safety.
- Quote: "If people are expected to assimilate, that's not safety, that's suppression." —Majella Greene (12:31)
Belonging vs. Fitting In
- True Belonging: Dr. Steindl and Majella discuss the difference between belonging and fitting in, noting that belonging should not require self-abandonment or code-switching.
- Quote: "Belonging without fitting in… you’ve got to try to be that chameleon and fit in. That's the bit that creates the lack of safety." —Dr. Stan Steindl (13:43)
- Quote: "If you feel like you're having to code switch, then you're probably not psychologically safe." —Majella Greene (14:15)
Compassion and Embracing Difference
- Naming Discomfort: Compassion isn’t always soft—it can be "fierce." It starts by naming discomfort and making space for difference, even if tension arises.
- Quote: "Compassion in this sense means having permission to be your whole self… and staying with the tension that arises when people bring radically different lived experience." —Majella Greene (17:17)
- Seeing the Whole Person: It's important to recognize each individual's history and context, not just a surface characteristic (accent, appearance, etc.). (18:07-19:23)
Foundations and Benefits of Psychological Safety
- Missed Opportunities: Lack of psychological safety leads to missed opportunities for growth, innovation, and community flourishing.
- Physical and Collective Benefits: Reduced stress, better health, greater innovation, connection, and the ability for collective problem-solving. (21:40-22:30)
- Quote: "People are probably going to have better immune systems as a result of not producing high cortisol levels all the time…" —Majella Greene (22:30)
Repair and Accountability After Mistakes
- Owning Mistakes: Psychological safety means it’s safe to own up to mistakes without fear of retribution; genuine repair requires vulnerability and accountability.
- Quote: "Repair can't happen if someone's saying, no, but I was right… it’s checking in with the other person or the team." —Majella Greene (26:15)
- Power Awareness: Recognize one's own place in systems of privilege, and approach repair conversations with appropriate care due to ongoing power dynamics. (24:59-29:48)
- Quote: "What do you need from me now? What would be helpful? How can I make amends?" —Majella Greene (29:48)
Psychological Safety and Difficult Conversations
- Hallmark of Safety: The presence of difficult conversations is an indicator of true psychological safety.
- Quote: "Difficult conversations are at the heart of psychological safety. Where there are no difficult conversations, there is not psychological safety." —Majella Greene (30:56)
- Compassionate, Honest Feedback: When giving feedback (such as a worker’s role fit), honesty and strengths-based communication matter more than simply pathologizing performance. (30:56-33:26)
Metaphors: Beekeeping as Collective Safety
- Bees as Metaphor: Bees thrive as “autonomous collectives”; their flourishing depends on the collective, but each voice (bee) matters. Leadership is collaborative among bees—when things aren’t working, the group adapts. (37:52-41:09)
- Community and Flourishing: Just as healthy bee colonies foster abundance, human collectives thrive with psychological safety.
Advocacy and the Radical Nature of "Your Voice Matters"
- Asking and Inviting: Advocacy starts with small shifts; even simply believing "your voice matters" is radical for many.
- Quote: "No one's ever asked me what I want or what's important to me before." —Majella Greene recalling a formative experience (45:39)
- Motivational Interviewing Parallels: The radical act of attending and supporting autonomy is foundational in MI, too. (46:47)
Safety vs. Safeness: An Ongoing Aspiration
- Never Fully Arrived: Environments where everyone always feels safe are likely aspirational. Psychological safety is a continuum, shaped by many variables.
- Quote: "I'm not sure that… process has fully been achieved. In a way it's a bit like unconditional positive regard. It's something to aspire to." —Majella Greene (48:22)
- Awareness and Process: The goal is ongoing cultivation, not perfection.
Embodying and Practicing Psychological Safety
- Practical Steps: Create rituals (shaking, breathing, music) to activate the body’s calming system and signal safety. Allow people to choose their level of vulnerability and participation. (54:52-57:18)
- Inclusivity in Contribution: Consistently offer warmth and inclusion—even if someone’s contribution is subtle or silent, it can be meaningful.
- Quote: "If we don't feel safe, we need to practice some activation for our parasympathetic nervous system… No one should be forced to be vulnerable." —Majella Greene (54:54)
First Steps for Listeners: Self-Compassion and Micro-Steps
- If You've Never Felt Safe:
- Trust your feelings—they're real for you.
- Ask: “What’s one small way I can show up for myself today?”
- Practice self-kindness and seek out “soft ground”—even one empathic person.
- Focus on small things that help you breathe easier, such as nature or beauty.
- Quote: "Listening inwards, even when the world hasn’t yet learned how to listen to you." —Majella Greene (57:43)
Memorable Moments & Quotes
-
On Assimilation vs. Acceptance
"If you're assimilating, then that's probably suppression and bowing down to the dominant culture in some way."
—Majella Greene (12:31) -
On Difficult Conversations as Proof of Safety
"Where there are no difficult conversations, there is not psychological safety."
—Majella Greene (30:56) -
On Early Steps Toward Psychological Safety
"Start by being yourself. If something doesn't feel safe, that's real. You don’t have to justify it… Ask: What’s one small way I can show up for myself today?"
—Majella Greene (57:43) -
On Compassion and Making Space for Difference
"Compassion in this sense means having permission to be your whole self… and staying with the tension that arises when people bring radically different lived experience."
—Majella Greene (17:17) -
On Advocacy
"I believe your voice matters is radical… opening the conversation with 'what do you want, what’s important, what would you hope for?'"
—Majella Greene (43:57-46:47) -
On Continuous Practice
"It's repetition, it takes commitment to the longer term… just that feeling of belonging. It takes time."
—Dr. Stan Steindl (58:53)
Important Timestamps
- 00:30 — Defining psychological safety
- 04:49 — Individual vs. collective elements
- 09:24 — Cues for psychological safety in workplaces and communities
- 12:31 — Assimilation vs. authentic belonging
- 17:03 — Compassion, difference, and "fierce" belonging
- 21:40 — Psychological safety leads to creativity and organizational success
- 24:59 — Repair and accountability after mistakes
- 30:56 — Difficult conversations as evidence of safety
- 37:52 — Beekeeping as metaphor for collective thriving and safety
- 43:57 — "Your voice matters" as radical advocacy
- 57:43 — First steps for self-compassion and psychological safety
Final Takeaways
- Psychological safety is a dynamic, ongoing process requiring courage, collective effort, and continual reflection on power and inclusion.
- Compassion—both fierce and gentle—enables real safety by making space for difference, vulnerability, and honest conversation.
- No environment is ever "perfectly" safe, but small, consistent acts (asking, listening, including, repairing) can make the world safer, kinder, and more generative for all.
For those who haven’t listened, this conversation offers a blend of theory, practical advice, and heartfelt narrative—making psychological safety accessible, actionable, and deeply human.