Creating a Safe Space
Are you looking to create a workplace that values trust, support, and inclusivity? As we spend most of our time working, it is crucial that we feel safe in our workplace. After all, feeling valued at work can have a significant impact on job satisfaction and productivity.
What is Psychological Safety?
Psychological safety is the belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up in the workplace. It is a shared belief within a team that everyone is safe to experiment, fail forward, and speak up without fear of retribution.
There are several ways companies can encourage psychological safety within their teams. One way is by ensuring that everyone feels like they are part of the team and have a sense of belonging. This can be done by promoting open communication, encouraging collaboration, and providing opportunities for social bonding outside of work.
Another way to foster psychological safety is by role-modeling desired behavior and leading by example. When leaders show that they are willing to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them, it sets the tone for the rest of the team. Leaders should also be quick to give credit where it’s due and praise employees for their successes. While on the topic of taking risk, this is not a physical safety risk. Increasing those types of risks are never acceptable in a psychologically safe environment.
What Steps Can Be Taken to Create Psychological Safety
Psychological safety refers to an individual’s perceived environmental and interpersonal safety. Psychological safety is a key predictor of workplace engagement, as it directly impacts how comfortable employees feel in the workplace. Creating a psychologically safe environment requires active effort from both leaders and team members. Here are four steps that can be taken to foster a culture of trust and support:
1. Clarify expectations: Leaders should clearly articulate their expectations for employee behavior. Team members should also feel comfortable asking questions and clarifying expectations with their managers and teammates.
2. Encourage open communication: Leaders should create an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas, concerns, and feedback openly. This can be done through active listening, showing respect for other’s opinions, and encouraging debate.
3. Promote social connections: Leaders should encourage social connections among team members by creating opportunities for them to interact outside of work tasks, such as company-sponsored social events or team-building exercises.
4. Address conflict promptly: When conflict does arise, leaders should address it promptly and directly with the involved parties. By constructively handling conflict, leaders can model the desired behavior for others on the team.
What Removes Workplace Psychological Safety
A lack of psychological safety can lead to some problems, including decreased productivity, increased absenteeism, and turnover. There are many things that can remove psychological safety from the workplace, including:
- Bullying or harassment from managers or co-workers
- A competitive or individualistic culture
- Lack of trust between management and employees
- Fear of failure or criticism
- Poor communication
It is up to us to create a workplace that is physically and psychologically safety environment.
