AS someone who works with teams on a daily basis, people sometimes ask me what factors are important for a  team to function well, writes psychotherapist Jody Merelle.

Of course there are many answers to that question, but I have learned that one of the biggest indicators of a successful team is the presence of psychological safety. 

You may wonder what that is. 

The term was coined by Harvard professor Dr Amy Edmondson and is now widely used in both business and psychology. 

It is sometimes described as the collective ability to take risks. 

However that is not all it is, and in my view the presence of psychological safety is just as important in any successful partnership or relationship. 

So what is it? I would suggest it is much more than just about a willingness to take risks. 

Psychological safety, whether in a team or a relationship, is feeling safe enough to be honest and open with others. 

It is about knowing that it is ok to be vulnerable and that you will still be listened to and your ideas respected and validated even when they are different from others. 

Many teams are currently facing significant challenges. 

But the ones who weather the storms the best are those who are able to share concerns with each other and don’t feel judged as a result.

By contrast the teams who struggle the most almost always say that they have not ‘felt heard’ in one way or another. 

In a marriage or partnership the same principle applies. 

Having a partner who genuinely wants to listen to you, is interested to know how you feel and can validate your right to do so is crucial. 

It is only when you feel safe enough to highlight concerns that there is any chance of them being addressed. 

And the opposite is also true. 

Any relationship in which it feels as though your opinions are ignored or don’t matter is much less likely to succeed. 

You might be able to put up with it for a while, but ultimately, if your partner does not care about your feelings, you run the risk of losing your own sense of identity and feeling less valuable as a person. 

In a world full of challenges, finding a person or team with whom you can be honest, open, vulnerable and truly heard is a gift. 

If you already have a place where you feel psychologically safe then treasure it. 

If not, have a think about how you might change that. 

In speaking to people with a whole variety of problems and challenges I am convinced it is one of the most valuable resources there is.