Set clear goals, responsibilities and ways of working together, and ensure your expectations about workload and deadlines are realistic. Photo: Stock.
Michelle Gibbings says in a time of constant and rapid workplace change, it is crucial that leaders communicate with team members in a way that safeguards their mental health and wellbeing.
Recently, I was watching a video in which a leader was trying to quell concern and anxiety about a change; instead, their actions just elevated those feelings.
As people posed questions, the leader became defensive and as the video continued, you could see people withdrawing from the conversation.
It no longer felt “safe” to speak up and express concerns. People left feeling unseen, unheard and increasingly anxious. You’ve likely seen a similar situation unfold at some stage in your career.
In Australia, leaders and business owners are now legally obligated to manage the risk of psychosocial hazards in the workplace.
As Safe Work Australia explains, this is any behaviour that can harm a person’s mental health. It can include job demands, bullying, and lack of role clarity. However, putting aside the legal obligations, creating a psychologically safe workplace is good business practice.
International studies reveal an increase in mental health issues, with experts warning the ramifications will extend far into the future.
Workplaces now recognise the importance of having practices supporting and promoting a mentally healthy workplace, of which psychological safety is a major component.
In 2012, Google began research on what makes the best teams. Initially, they thought it would be about the smarts of the group members, but in time, realised it had far more to do with how the group connected and engaged.
A year into the five-year study, Google discovered that having explicit group norms was fundamental. The next step was to work out what team norms mattered the most. Further investigation and research concluded that at the core was the need for psychological safety.
Writing in the Harvard Business Review in 2019, Harvard Professor Amy Edmondson said psychological safety wasn’t about being nice. It was giving candid feedback, openly admitting mistakes, and learning from each other.
“It is knowing your team and leader won’t embarrass, reject or punish you; where there is mutual trust and respect. It is an environment where people feel comfortable to be their authentic self,” she wrote.
In many workplaces, those requirements are missing. A Gallup report found that 82 per cent of employees saw their leaders as uninspiring. Only 15 per cent of employees were engaged at work, while another study found only one in three employees strongly agreed that they trusted the leadership of their organisation.
Research by the University of Wollongong found half of all employees would experience workplace bullying (including verbal abuse, humiliation, social isolation, withholding information and spreading rumours) during their careers.
To create a psychologically safe environment, leaders need to care about the welfare of those around them – be they work colleagues, stakeholders, or clients. In doing this, they don’t always put their needs first; rather, they consider the needs of others and take accountability for the impact of their actions.
Next, frame the work and ensure everyone in the team is on the same page. You want to establish common goals, clarity on challenges, and ways of dealing with failure and uncertainty.
As the leader, set clear goals, responsibilities and ways of working together, and ensure your expectations about workload and deadlines are realistic.
Challenge yourself and consider: How are you creating clarity rather than confusion about work, deadlines, dependencies and challenges?
Accept your role in being curious, humble, open to ideas and having a growth mindset. Be willing to ask questions, listen, and have mechanisms for gathering input and facilitating discussions with your team.
You want to create the best environment for your team members to share their thoughts and perspectives.
Ask yourself: Are you creating an environment where everyone participates and complex questions and challenging conversations are embraced?
This approach only works if you set the standard, follow it, and behave consistently. Your team will watch what you say, do, and don’t do and say, and they will notice inconsistencies.
Also, praise people for their efforts and remove the stigma often attached to failure by focusing on learning and growth.
When you are inconsistent and unreliable, and your processes aren’t transparent, team members will see a failure to act as an indication there is no standard or that it’s inconsistently applied.
Last, be open with your team about your pressure points and what you do to manage stress and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Encourage your team members to take care of themselves. For example, taking regular breaks during the day, noticing and managing workplace stress, and having a safe space for individuals to discuss how they feel and what’s going on for them.
Ask your team members: What practices do we need to ensure we are best balancing effort and outcomes?
Michelle Gibbings is a Melbourne-based workplace expert, and an award-winning author. She’s on a mission to help leaders, teams and organisations create successful workplaces – where people thrive and progress is accelerated. She can be contacted at [email protected].
