Nowadays, making sure that we have a healthy work environment has become a priority. We care about having and encouraging open communication within teams and the company in general. But having those doesn’t necessarily mean that the workplace feels psychologically safe for everyone. Achieving this might take a little more effort, but it is entirely possible.
First of all, we should know what psychological safety is. As Dr. Edmondson establishes in her paper called “Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams” It can be defined as a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking. Meaning that there is no fear of experiencing negative consequences for being or expressing one’s self.
A lot of trust is required to have this kind of safety at the workplace, not only with co-workers but also with managers and supervisors, and that is not the simplest of tasks. Because let’s be honest, who hasn’t felt a bit scared to share a controversial opinion about a project, or nervous to share a point of view that is contrary to the bosses? But this kind of behavior only holds companies back.
Having a psychologically safe environment at work becomes particularly important since companies are becoming more and more diverse and inclusive, which can be very enriching from every point of view. And so it is when it comes to the current applications of hybrid workplaces, making it not only a goal to aspire to but a need to be met.
What can we do to foster psychological safety?
Walk the walk
It is important to start by leading with an example. If as a manager, you want your team to feel able to speak without being judged, then you should be the first one not to judge and to discourage anyone that does it. It’s not only asking for people to be kind and understanding, it is about showing those values too. Being a leader is not easy, and it requires you to become the personification of what you want your team to be.
Showing yourself vulnerable and honest about work-related issues, or even work-life balance when it comes to WFH, will let the people around you know that that is accepted and welcomed behavior.
A leader who trusts their team to tell them that they might not know how to fix a problem, and who shows candor and kindness to others, will be demonstrating that the space can be safe and most likely will receive the same candor, openness, and kindness in return.
Train every front
Having this environment will require personal and team training, one can’t go without the other. Some skills are needed to make and maintain psychological safety. Like perspective taking, learning how to share ideas candidly, or giving feedback in a non-judgemental manner.
And these skills need to be practiced and displayed in group encounters, teams need to learn to work together and trust each other. To share ideas freely will increase innovation. To do so, people need to sense that mistakes can be made, ideas can be shared, and opinions can be said. For that, team training is vital.
Give it a purpose
Of course, creating a safe place has many benefits for everyone. But if you want the space to be created, some instructions might need to be given, and those can have a more powerful impact if we can see a purpose in them. Problem-solving can be a great ally.
By making the team focus on a higher purpose (to solve the situation at hand) you can promote the means of accepting different perspectives and sharing their thoughts even if they don’t agree with the others because there is something else at stake.
Focusing on the performance and orienting the team to an end might make it a little easier to create a path of safety. Since now, taking the risk has a purpose, people would be encouraged to do so.
Normalize vulnerability
Boundaries need to be clear, we know that the workplace is not the same as a friends’ meeting, and it shouldn’t be, but that doesn’t mean that vulnerability can’t be displayed when needed. Being vulnerable can make anyone a little anxious at first, but with time, and repetition, that anxiety decreases.
Admitting a mistake, correcting when you were wrong, asking a “simple” question, and more are actions that show vulnerability. These actions need to be taken for everyone to grow and to become the best version we can be.
By encouraging interpersonal risk-taking, candor, and openness, your team will start feeling safer and vulnerable. It’s important to take this with baby steps, it doesn’t happen in the snap of a finger. Participating in the creation of a psychologically safe workplace is a challenge that will bring countless benefits to the company and everyone in it.
Who wouldn’t want to engage with a company that makes them feel heard and taken into consideration? Let’s all work into making the workplace a better place, and what better way to do so, than making it safe to be one’s self?
