Company culture is the environment created by the attitudes, behaviors, and relationships of the people within your organization. Every organization has a culture and it is constantly evolving.

The foundation of company culture is safety. If this is in place, it allows for a thriving culture. If this is lacking then all other areas of the culture will suffer.

Safety refers to the physical and emotional safety of all your workers. For most organizations, it will be more the emotional safety. Amy Edmondson, a professor at the Harvard Business School refers to this as psychological safety. This is, "a sense of confidence that the team will not embarrass, reject, or punish someone for speaking up. It describes a team climate characterized by interpersonal trust and mutual respect in which people are comfortable being themselves.”

A two-year Google study found that the one thing high-performing teams had in common was psychological safety.

So how do you create this?

Here are my top 10 ways:

1. Active listening - Attentive listening is critical for building trust and healthy relationships. Having an emphasis on mindful communication can help create this.

2. Practice empathy - Showing people that you understand and care about what they are going through is critical.

3. Show appreciation - Recognize others for their efforts in ways that they feel comfortable. This may be in a meeting, privately, via email, etc.

4. Give people a voice - Allow others to speak up and share their thoughts in a variety of ways.

5. Practice inclusion - Having acceptance and respect for different backgrounds and viewpoints is essential for a safe workplace.

6. Accountability done right - When someone is acting inappropriately then it needs to be addressed. If it is not then the safety people feel will dissolve. Be respectful and firm when holding others accountable.

7. Keep your word - If you say you are going to do something then make sure you follow through on it. This is will help build trust and a safe environment.

8. Allow for mistakes - Have a culture that views mistakes as part of the growth process and a way to learn. Encourage people to take ownership of mistakes and demonstrate this from leadership.

9. Welcome feedback - See feedback as an opportunity to get better. Be open, receptive, and thank people for giving you feedback. Teaching people how to give feedback can be useful as well.

10. Encourage vulnerability - Recognize that vulnerability is a sign of courage and it allows people to be more of their authentic selves. Be respectful, empathetic, and appreciative of those that are sharing.

Here is the key point with safety: It is the small everyday actions that build this feeling of safety. These actions of listening, showing appreciation, taking ownership of mistakes, welcoming feedback, and others will add up.

Over time it will create an environment where people will feel free to be their true selves. When this happens performance and morale go way up!