Forbes Coaches Council: Expert insights on building psychological safety in a hybrid workplace

Hybrid work has transformed how teams operate, but it’s also created new challenges for building and maintaining trust. When team members are distributed across locations and interactions happen primarily through screens, leaders must be more intentional about how they communicate, follow through on commitments, and create space for authentic connection. The casual moments that naturally build trust in office settings don’t happen automatically in hybrid environments—they require deliberate effort.

Dr. Christine Allen contributed to this Forbes article as a member of the Forbes Coaches Council, offering insights on effective strategies leaders can use to strengthen trust and psychological safety across their distributed teams.

Dr. Allen’s contribution:

Incorporate Periodic In-Person Time To Reinforce Connection

There is better connection, collaboration and psychological safety—which help organizations achieve goals—when there are one or two in-person working meetings a year. Whenever possible, take the opportunity to meet in person, socialize and do some kind of in-person work (a strategy session, for example) to improve trust and psychological safety, which then drives results through collaboration all year long.

Read the full article on Forbes