How to create psychological safety at work
First things first, what is psychological safety?
It is a safe environment where people are encouraged and feel comfortable to express themselves freely without judgement. Somewhere where it’s OK to fail, to ask for help, and OK to innovate without fear of reprisal or mockery. Where people know what’s expected of them. and that they will be treated equally and fairly.
Sadly, most of us have worked in an environment where they didn’t feel safe, and I hear daily from people where this is their daily lived experience.
Why is it important to have psychological safety in the workplace?
To see why it’s important to have it there, let’s look at what happens when it isn’t.
A lack can look like:
Fear of admitting mistakes
Fear of speaking up
Blame, gossip and mistrust
A toxic environment where teams can’t or won’t learn
Blind spots
A lack of engagement
A loss of productivity
Failure to innovate
What does it look like when people DO feel safe?
Healthy communication
Teams who can speak freely and share new ideas
A learning culture
Better, quicker decision making
Less burnout
Staff retention
Higher productivity
An engaged workforce
Higher profits!
Creating psychological safety at work is crucial for fostering a positive work environment where employees feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and ideas without fear of judgement or retaliation.
So how do you even start by creating a positive and psychological safe culture?
Communicate
Encourage open communication and listen. Be interested in hearing what your team has to say, and not just the good stuff, or the sugar coated things you’d like to hear. Encourage employees to speak up, share their thoughts and ideas, and express their opinions.
2. Listen
Actively listen to them, don’t react and let them talk and digest their comments. And respond with empathy and understanding.
3. Trust
Build trust with your team. You can do this by being honest, transparent, and consistent in your communication with employees. This will encourage a trusting environment which will spread across your organisation..
4. Omit blame culture
Mistakes happen, and we can learn so much from our mistakes so embrace them. Encourage employees to use them as opportunities for growth rather than criticising or punishing them for their errors.
5. Lead by Example
Be a role model for psychological safety by showing vulnerability, admitting when you're wrong, and asking for feedback.
6. Set time aside to build relationships with your teams
Promote teamwork: Encourage collaboration and teamwork by assigning group projects or tasks, providing opportunities for team-building exercises, and fostering a sense of community among employees.
7. Set boundaries and establish clear expectations
Communicate expectations clearly and frequently, and ensure that employees understand what is expected of them in their roles.
8. Support
Ensure that your employees have access to the resources and support they need to do their jobs effectively. This could include training and mentoring.
Book in for one of our 5 Voices Workshops which will enable greater collaboration, communication and trust, by understanding ourselves and each other better.
To have a successful and happy organisation with a healthy bottom line then you need to create a psychologically safe workplace. It will ensure your employees are empowered, engaged and motivated to do their best work.