Psychological safety: time to take action
Creating a psychologically safe culture is a no-brainer for organisations right now. It underpins key business objectives and there’s clear evidence that it can have real organisational impact. And at a time when organisations are under increasing (and seemingly never ending) pressure – from global conflicts and economic uncertainty to recruitment challenges and restructures including shaping how we work in our post-pandemic world – the urgency to embed psychological safety in organisations has never been greater.

But it isn’t as simple as rolling out a ‘Psychological safety’ initiative, ticking the box and thinking job done. So, what does this mean for you and your fellow HR Directors? How can you help leaders in your organisation to build psychological safety in their teams and what role can you play in bringing it to life yourself?

We know that what looks simple written down, is often far more complex to put into practice. So here we share three thoughts that are top of our minds when someone asks us about psychological safety right now.

What is psychological safety? (And what isn’t it?)
There’s sometimes a myth that psychological safety is about people being kind, and always agreeing with each other, avoiding conflict. While kindness is never not a good thing, it isn’t psychological safety.

Psychological safety is about creating an environment where people feel safe to speak up, challenge each other, share knowledge, take risks and make mistakes. Where healthy conflict and straight-talking are the norm.

But these aren’t behaviours that come naturally to us. Speaking up can feel like we’re taking a huge personal risk. We can feel uncomfortable and vulnerable which is why leadership behaviours are so important. Because while everyone in the team plays a part in creating a psychologically safe environment, it starts with the leader. Teams need their leaders to role model these behaviours. To create space for open and honest exchanges, foster a learning mindset, actively listen to the team, and invite feedback,.

Organisations operating in a complex, dynamic environment need employees who can operate with the brakes off, sharing knowledge, insights and learning so that they can adapt
to changing demands.

Dan Meek, CEO

Psychological safety: it takes a new style of leadership
Creating a culture where it’s safe to have straight-talking conversations and healthy conflict calls for a different style of leadership. We’re talking about being curious, showing vulnerability, being ok with not having all the answers. Understanding that failure is a part of the learning process, because high performing teams accept that making mistakes, and learning from them, is part of the job.

The question we have though, is that if organisations expect their leaders to role model these behaviours with their teams, are senior leaders, including HR role-modelling them too?

Is hybrid working affecting psychological safety?
Many organisations are grappling with the switch from remote to hybrid working right now. Employees are using this post-pandemic, lockdown time to create a way of working that is as much about their personal circumstances as their work requirements. Employees are resisting the call to return to the workplace – whether that’s with their existing employer or consider new roles and opportunities. This can lead to uncomfortable conversations about how individuals, teams and businesses organise themselves to get work done and achieve results in a way that keeps everyone happy.

If organisations and their leaders are going to navigate their way through these conversations successfully, it will need high levels of psychological safety. But we know that it takes huge effort to keep psychological safety levels high when life is running smoothly. When foundations are shaky, it needs even more focus and leaders need even more support.

Psychological safety: points for reflection
Psychological safety is a huge subject and there’s a lot more we could talk about, but for the moment we’ll leave you with three prompts for reflection, when you get a quiet moment.

• Do leaders understand what psychological safety is, and isn’t and what the behaviours are?
• How can senior leaders and HR support business and team leaders to develop the behaviours that will embed psychological safety in their teams?
• Leaders and their teams need psychological safety more than ever as they navigate their way through this complex changing world. Are the conversations you’re having with your leaders and their teams rooted in psychological safety

It’s good to talk
It can be hard to know where to begin when it comes to introducing and sustaining culture change, but one thing we do know is that you don’t need to do it alone. Our Team Assessment Clinics are perfect for tackling big subjects like psychological safety. You get to sit round the (virtual) table with a small group of fellow HR professionals who are on a similar journey as you. One of our experienced LIW leadership facilitators guides the conversation, sharing practical ideas and advice based on your situation and needs. The clinics are free, and we limit them to a maximum of 8 delegates per session so that everyone gets a chance to contribute.

If you want to get involved in a future Team Assessment Clinic, click here to register your interest and we’ll be in touch with the details soon.

Contact us to talk about your organisation’s culture, teams and leaders.

Further Reading

Why building a culture of trust is critical for successful leadership
Squadify We not Me Psychological Safety Podcast with Dr JessicaTonissen
Amy Edmondson, Ted Talks