Catherine Mattice* says a workplace where teams feel unable to speak up with dissenting opinions about how things are done, is a place where innovation goes to die.
Psychological safety in the workplace is the cornerstone of a positive and productive culture.
It is the belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes.
To build and manage high-performing teams, leaders must actively work to create an environment where individuals feel safe to express their ideas, opinions, and concerns without fear of negative consequences.
Take a look at your organisation.
Do people feel safe giving each other feedback, or do you have a culture of shame, blame, and gossip?
Here are three ways to create a culture of psychological safety.
Set the stage
As a leader of a team, it’s important to set the stage for psychological safety by creating a shared identity among team members and providing structure for them to feel safe in their work.
This includes fostering a sense of their individual contribution and cohesion as a team, and being open and transparent about any challenges or uncertainties that may arise.
Additionally, it’s crucial for the leader to role-model vulnerability and show their humanity in order to establish credibility and trust.
This is so team members feel comfortable being open and honest in return.
Don’t be a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ kind of boss.
Invite participation
To foster a culture of participation and inclusivity, it’s important to be intentional and creative in inviting diverse perspectives and ideas.
This can be done by actively seeking input from team members through open-ended questions, instead of directing them on what to do.
Psychologically safe space is a courageous space where people feel safe with dissenting opinions and delivering constructive criticism.
This can be done by inviting participation and encouraging individuals to challenge and question ideas, which ultimately leads to a stronger culture.
The opposite of courage isn’t cowardice; it’s conformity — and conformity is where innovation goes to die.
Respond productively
The most critical element that leaders often forget is to acknowledge team members who have mustered the courage to speak up and express their ideas or concerns.
The way in which you address their input sets the tone for future communication and encourages them and others to continue taking risks and speaking up in the future.
Show them that you value their input and take their concerns seriously.
Practicing these skills and regularly discussing psychological safety within the team can help prevent a single negative comment from undermining the overall sense of safety.
Psychological safety, just like authenticity, isn’t a permanent state but rather is constantly being created and reinforced through the actions and behaviour of team members.
It can be easily undermined by a single negative comment or action, and it’s the responsibility of the team leader and members to continuously build and maintain it.
Psychological safety is a continuing process that requires constant attention and effort to foster and maintain, just as authenticity is determined by one’s choice to be authentic in each moment.
*Catherine Mattice is the President of Civility Partners, which has been successfully providing programs on workplace bullying and building positive workplaces since 2007.
This article first appeared on the Civility Partners website.
