How to use the DESC Script to strengthen psychological safety in a team

Psychological safety suffers when people bottle up issues. If a team avoids difficult conversations, it often leads to resentment, frustration and poorer working relationships.
When I’ve worked with teams in this situation, what they’ve really needed is a clear, safe way to have those tough conversations. The DESC Script (Bower & Bower, 1976) does exactly that — it’s a simple framework that helps people address tricky issues without blame or conflict.
What is the DESC Script?
DESC stands for:
Describe: State what’s happening. Be factual, not personal.
Express: Explain how it affects you. Use ‘I’ statements.
Specify: Say what you’d like instead. Be clear and reasonable.
Consequence: Highlight the benefit if things change.
It was designed to help teams protect psychological safety while tackling real problems. It works because it removes the guesswork and emotion overload.
DESC in action
Say you’re getting late-night emails that are causing you stress.
A DESC might sound like this:
“When I get emails after 9pm (Describe), it makes it hard for me to switch off and rest (Express). I’d like us to keep non-urgent emails for working hours (Specify). It’ll help us all manage our time and wellbeing better (Consequence).”
Small script, big shift. When you use DESC, you reduce unhealthy conflict and passive aggression. You make it normal to tackle issues head on, with respect. That’s how you strengthen psychological safety for everyone.
One thing to try this week

Write a DESC for a real irritation.
Practise it before you speak.
See how much lighter it feels when you stick to facts and fair requests.
When you raise concerns well, people trust you more, and your team trusts itself more too. That’s how psychological safety grows.
Reference: Bower, S.A. & Bower, G.H. (1976). Asserting Yourself: A Practical Guide for Positive Change. Da Capo Press.
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