Building One Team: Cultivating Psychological Safety and Behaviors for Healthy Teams

Building One Team: Cultivating Psychological Safety and Behaviors for Healthy Teams offers a practical and research-backed roadmap to fostering psychological safety and strengthening the behavioral dynamics that shape healthy, high-performing teams.Drawing on research in the construction industry—a sector known for its high-stress, high-stakes environments—the book explores what it takes to move from fragmented efforts to cohesive, high-performing collaboration. It introduces the concept of “One Team” as a way to understand how psychological safety and everyday team behaviors come together to create healthier, more united teams. Grounded in real-world stories and supported by research data and case studies, the book provides activities, tools, and frameworks that teams in any industry can adapt to their unique challenges and contexts. Each chapter includes structured exercises, discussion prompts, and facilitation tips that can be used immediately in team meetings, huddles, or training. Written for construction project managers, safety professionals, project executives, and team leaders in high-stakes industries, this essential guide will help readers improve coordination, strengthen trust, and help their teams truly work as one.

About the Author

Dr. Sulyn Gomez Villanueva brings together expertise in psychological safety, team dynamics, and lean construction through her work at DPR Construction. Her recent work with DPR’s Self-Perform-Work team focuses on developing processes and resources that create stronger pathways for craftworker voice, participation, and recognition—helping ensure craftworkers are heard, engaged, and treated as integral members of the project team.

Dr. Glenn Ballard is a research associate with the Project Production Systems Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley. He co-founded the International Group for Lean Construction and the Lean Construction Institute and developed the Last Planner System, a widespread planning approach on lean projects. He has played a foundational role in adapting lean thinking to project delivery and has profoundly shaped the theory and practice of lean in the construction industry.