This issue of safety is being explorer by the Agile coaching group I participate in. How do we provide a safe environment for our teams? Here are some ideas on what it means to have a safe working environment.

1. A team member as an individual
   Team members are not just resources to be used to create a product for the company. Each of them has goals and passions. Helping the individual to realize his or her goals and taping into their passion make for a much more resilient individual. When the team member is doing something they really want to do and are passionate about they will overcome the obstacle they encounter.
2. The team encourages each other
   Every team member has insecurities and areas they feel they are insufficient in. When these are manifested in a team the other members find way to encourage the other member through mentoring or helping them through difficult tasks. The goal is to have well rounded team members who excel at what they do.
3. The team is protected from outside intruders
   There are intrusions on the team from management, product sponsors, other teams and other projects. Management has expectations and many time the teams method of meeting those expectations does not match the way management expects a project to be done. In this scenario it is important to over communicate with management. Have them understand that the team is progressing toward the goals management has set. This is difficult for a ScrumMaster steeped in Agile technology. We many times have to provide more documentation then we feel is necessary.