4 steps to build a Psychological Safe Workplace

Psychological Safety is a buzzing topic right now and increasingly more ‘stinky fish’ are floating to the surface. But  - we are definitely getting better in recognizing the smell and have decided more and more that it has become unacceptable to sweep it under the carpet. We hear multiple stories on the news about catastrophes caused by the absence of Psychological Safety, e.g. The Voice, De Wereld Draait Door, Boeing, Volkswagen.

So  - one could now say we are developing a nose for it. Most people that I know have a story to share regarding unsafe work situations. For me it is one of the reasons that I dedicate part of my work to leadership development. Of course it depends on more than leadership!

The essential question I'm trying to answer is:

“How do we create Psychological Safety in our high pressured, results-driven, diverse workplaces?

How do you create Psychological Safety in the high pressured, results driven, divers workplaces?

I have been working with the topic for a couple of years now - and  to be honest, I'm still trying to fully grasp it. People regularly ask me lots of great questions:

"Is it about trust?, Is it about behaviour?, Is it influenced by culture or personality differences?, Is it about adapting yourself?, Is it about speaking up? Is it about listening?  understanding? Is it about who has, or wants, power?  AND…Who should be held accountable? -  the individual or the organisation?"

Reflecting on all these it eventually comes down to a question I think we all need to address personally - “How much risk am I willing to take in service of improving psychological safety in my environment?”

Is it about trust; behavior; culture; personality; power? How much risk should I be willing to take for safety in my environment?

Professor Amy Edmondson, leadership scholar and subject matter guru, defines the topic as: "Psychological Safety is the belief that you won't be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes. It is a shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking".

"Psychological Safety is the belief that you won't be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes. It is a shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking".

But……what can we do to convince our fellow human beings (whose brains that are designed to focus on fear, threat and survival) to take the interpersonal risk of addressing unsafe behaviour without the certainty of it getting better?…or  even worse, that it backfires on us individually. Besides, what we experience as safe / unsafe is also uniquely personal, relational, cultural, contextual - and this makes it rather complex!

So - back to my question. How do we create a psychologically safe space in which to thrive in our high pressured, results driven, diverse workplaces - where people are often triggered to work in survival mode? We might also think about how we can persuade our colleagues and contacts that it is safe and beneficial to take interpersonal risks?

There is SO much more to it of course - but here are 4 essential steps to help us build a psychologically safe workplace.

4 essential steps to help us build a psychologically safe workplace

1. We need Role Models across all levels, genders and generations. A positive role model can show us that all can benefit from those that take some interpersonal risks. In particular focus is the behavior of people with "power". What they do is particularly contagious! So, when you have recognised the power that you have, choose how you use it -  wisely -  and understand that the taking of interpersonal risks often feels more dangerous for people with less power than you.

2. You can't expect change if people don't have the skills or are unable to trust each other. Telling people to act differently, speak up, or just listen better, is not enough - maybe even useless? Behaviour is partly driven by imprinted coping mechanisms that help us survive. We have to guide and teach people to develop new skills and coping mechanisms before we can realistically expect improvement. Equally important is to work on the element of trust within teams, by building on the interpersonal connections between diverse individuals, so they have a better understanding of themselves and their impact on one another.

3. You need formal mechanisms to support your Psychological Safety strategy. If there is no value attached to behaving appropriately, or no consequences for poor behaviour, there is a risk of it not being taken seriously. This of course undermines people’s beliefs, that they can expect support when they take risks for the greater good.

4. You need a coherent story. Ask yourself and your colleagues: “Why is it important for us to create a psychological safe workplace? What drives us? How could it feel and what might it look like? And what is not acceptable right now? What will positive change bring us? How could it impact our performance?  The new story that you create, can be (and needs to be) repeated over and over again by the role models in your organisation - until it really catches on.

Team and organisational cultures definitely don’t change overnight. It always takes time and dedication – making small, regular interventions as part of a long term strategy.

Now ask yourself -  do you feel it is safe to take some interpersonal risk in your team?...... Or is it still better to sweep your real thoughts, feelings, concerns, mistakes under the carpet?  I hope you opt for the bolder approach and in time be confident to say “Yes! We have a workplace where it feels safe to speak up honestly – knowing that it will help us all thrive”

Thanks for taking the time to read my article. Leave a comment below. Or if it feels safer for now don’t hesitate to direct message me with your thoughts and questions