Psychologically safe work environments allow employees to express their thoughts and feelings, share ideas, ask questions, and make mistakes without fear of negative consequences.
A culture of psychological safety can lead to better teamwork, increased innovation, and improved organisational outcomes.
In a psychologically safe workplace, employees feel that
They can be themselves,
Their contributions are valued
They are treated with respect and dignity
Five steps to create psychological safety at work
Establish clear expectations and standards: It begins by ensuring everyone understands the expectations and standards for behaviour at work. This includes being respectful and professional, being on time, and following company policies.
Encourage open communication: Encourage employees to speak up openly and share their ideas, concerns, and feedback. This helps create a sense of trust and inclusion within the team.
Foster a culture of support: Create a culture where employees feel supported by their colleagues and management. This can include things like offering resources for employees to seek help when needed, such as an employee assistance program or access to a mental health professional.
Address conflicts and concerns promptly: If disputes or problems arise, address them as soon as possible. This helps to prevent minor issues from escalating and creating a hostile work environment.
Recognise and reward psychological safety: Reward employees who role-model psychological safety behaviour, such as vulnerability and admitting mistakes. Highlighting and sharing these examples can reinforce the behaviour you want to see.
Summary
By creating a culture of psychological safety, organisations can empower employees to speak up, share new ideas and work together more productively and innovatively.
We hope this blog has provided some insights into creating a more psychologically safe workplace, and we welcome any feedback or questions you may have.
Coming up
A series of posts to help our readers with resources to create psychologically safe workplaces.