What’s all
the fuss about?
The term Psychological
Safety has become a part of our vernacular thanks to the work of people like
Amy Edmondson and Brene Brown but I still find a lot of the leaders and
managers I work with asking about what it really means in the everyday and
practical sense so I thought I’d take some time to write a short blog piece
about it.
What is psychological
safety?
I love this quote from Amy Edmondson, I think it really captures the essence of
the fear and toxicity that is present when we don't feel psychologically safe:
“a belief that one will not
be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or
mistakes, and that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking”
Sometimes, we identify things through their opposites - what we don't want,
what we don't feel, what we don't have. There's a feeling of 'I'm not safe, I'm
not ok' when psychological safety is missing and we might not be able to
pinpoint exactly why. What does show up is self-talk that looks and sounds like
this…
I can't speak up or speak
out
I can't call out or question others behaviors and actions where there is a
negative impact
I'm going to be treated differently because I said that or did that
I'll be penalized or punished in some way
Those who hold power will use it to 'teach me a lesson' or 'put me in my place'
What’s the impact?
When we are thinking these thoughts it often leaves us wondering “is it just
me? Is it all in my head?” Sadly, that often becomes a self-fulfilling cycle of
not feeling able to talk to anyone about it, which can lead to feelings of
isolation and helplessness that are overwhelming and start to impact our health
and wellbeing.
I've experienced this first hand, and it was an experience that has taken time
to recover from. For me, getting out of the environment was crucial - I had to
focus on what I was in control of, and sadly, with all the will in the world,
when the culture of a workplace is ingrained, you probably won't be able to
change that alone.
If you are experiencing this, I definitely recommend speaking to people you
trust in your close support network - a problem shared and all that! I also
suggest thinking about your exit plan - get your CV updated, work out who you
can ask to provide a reference, perhaps work with a coach or mentor to help
you.
Finally, give some time to working out where you can create strong and positive
boundaries that help you to limit your exposure to these behaviors and
situations where they arise - again, go back to what you are in control of -
for me that was declining certain meetings, working from different places,
refusing to work outside of my contracted hours; you have to work out what is
right and appropriate for you in your own circumstances, but boundaries are
essential.
What can we do?
If you are thinking about
psychological safety within your team or organization and looking for ways to
build and improve on this then I have a few suggestions for you too.
Building rapport, listening deeply and actively, and asking curious questions
to unlock internal insight are important skills. These are the fundamental
skills of using a coaching approach.
Create the conditions in which your team feel able and willing to do their
thinking out loud with you means helping them identify where they have choices
and what they can control. This also you requires
you to recognise you don’t already have or know these answers. You’ve got to be
willing to be a learner rather than a knower! Invest time in truly listening,
without interruption. Provide time and a suitable space for your team members
to have these conversations with you and be respectful of the vulnerability it
takes to open up and share.
Support your team members to identify their strengths, passions and interests
and nurture them as they develop these further
understanding that any learning has potential discomfort involved. Your people
need to be reassured that if and when mistakes happen along the way, they
provide a great learning opportunity. It can be really helpful to share your
own learning and mistakes to role model that getting it wrong doesn’t mean
failure, it’s all an opportunity for growth and development.
Encourage your staff to explore and connect to what matters most for them and
to share these things with you. When you understand what drives your team
member, what motivates them in their work, you gain insight in how best to
support and engage them. You also connect on a human level. Being human is
complicated and messy. Being human also means we have an in-built need to feel
belonging and acceptance. By welcoming, and proactively setting up
conversations around this you demonstrate to your team member that they matter
and you care.
By investing in developing these skills, you will be able to engage and inspire
your workforce and help them to do their best work and you create happy,
healthy, high performing teams that deliver results! If you’d like some support
in developing the skills outlined here why not book a call, we have a range of
learning solutions that can support you.
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