Building Psychological Safety at Work
We hear the phrase “Psychological Safety” being thrown around in offices and meetings across the globe, but what is it exactly?
Psychological safety is an important concept that refers to the belief that one can speak up and share ideas and concerns without fear of retribution or negative consequences. It is the foundation of an open and collaborative work environment where employees feel comfortable voicing their opinions, asking questions, and seeking support.
What derails psychological safety at work?
Low reliability: When employees don’t know what to expect, or how accountable leadership is, it makes it difficult to build and maintain trust.
Not sharing credit: Avoiding providing praise and credit where it is due can cause employees to feel devalued, unseen, and unimportant.
Defensive stances: Both leaders and employees could benefit from adopting a more curious approach to feedback instead of reacting to things defensively.
Low tolerance for mistakes: Mistakes are a part of any growth, learning, and scaled project. When we make mistakes, and fail at something, it’s an opportunity to learn and grow. When there is an unrealistic expectation of perfectionism at every turn, employees might feel even more stress, pressure to perform, and burnout.
Lack of vulnerability: While there need to be boundaries between work and home, when folks are unable to name that something is bothering them, or that they have some emotions about a particular situation, that lack of vulnerability can make it difficult for others to not only share, but feel validated in their own struggles. Showing up as vulnerable (in an appropriate way) can remind our teams that we are all human, and make us more relatable to one another.
A lack of psychological safety can lead to a number of negative outcomes, including lower productivity, increased turnover, and decreased innovation. It can also have negative impacts on employee well-being, with studies finding that a lack of psychological safety is associated with increased levels of stress and burnout.
There are a number of ways that organizations can promote psychological safety in the workplace. One key aspect is leadership. Leaders who are supportive, approachable, and transparent can create a culture of psychological safety by fostering open communication and actively listening to and addressing employee concerns.
Identifying which of the above points your organization is struggling with can help point leaders in a better direction to promote more psychological safety, and therefore more motivation, trust, and overall work satisfaction for their employees.
