In this article, we’ll discuss what psychological safety is, why it’s essential, and what you, as a manager, can do to create a psychologically safe work environment.
What is psychological safety?
In 1999, Harvard professor Amy Edmondson coined “psychological safety”. Edmondson describes psychological safety as “trusting that it’s safe to take interpersonal risks” – in other words, feeling understood when you come forward with ideas, questions, concerns and mistakes.
On the other hand, psychological safety also means the absence of interpersonal anxiety: colleagues feel free to speak out without fear of being judged.
In essence, creating psychological safety is about developing an environment where everybody feels like they can be themselves. But why is this so important?
The importance of psychological safety at work
A psychologically safe work environment isn’t just a nice to have; it’s a crucial foundation for both teams and the organisation at large. When individuals feel acknowledged and valued, it translates into enhanced performance, greater job satisfaction and enjoyment, and enhanced mental well-being.
Echoing insights from a leading innovator, Google‘s investigative journey into the dynamics of successful teams underscores the vital role of psychological safety. Their findings reveal that the highest-performing teams are characterised by mutual respect, where listening is prioritised, opinions are freely shared, and everyone has an equitable voice. These elements are indicative of a psychologically safe environment.
Creating a psychologically safe work environment can also help with retention. When individuals don’t feel safe at work, they experience more stress and are at greater risk of burnout. In addition, there’s more chance that individuals will leave the organisation.
📖 Want to learn more about retention? Read The 8 Best Retention Strategies for 2023
The advantages of psychological safety
- Fewer people calling in sick with stress and burnout
- Improved mental well-being
- High performance and productivity
- Innovation
- Engagement
- Job satisfaction and enjoyment
- Retention
Creating a psychologically safe work environment is vital for the work performance, job satisfaction and mental well-being of your team. But how can you tell whether your organisation is psychologically safe or not?
How to identify workplace trust (or a lack of it)
The most important first step in creating psychological safety is knowing how to identify psychological safety (or a lack of it). Psychological safety is about the subtle interactions between people, explains Joriene Beks – expert and trainer in the area of psychological safety. Do people feel seen and heard? You play an important role in this as a manager.
A psychologically unsafe work culture is one where individuals and teams don’t feel like they can:
- share ideas, questions and concerns
- express criticism/give feedback
- take risks
- be themselves
When individuals feel disengaged or doubt the value of their contributions, it often signals a psychologically unsafe environment.
There is an increased risk of psychological unsafety during periods of significant change or challenges within a company, In such times, managers and supervisors, in their efforts to stabilise operations, might inadvertently foster a climate lacking in trust. This trend is increasingly observed in the current landscape of hybrid and remote work settings.
A lack of trust is a key sign that an environment might be psychologically unsafe. The same is true for a lack of confidentiality, caused for example by personal matters from conversations being discussed with other people. This doesn’t just apply to private conversations, but also to anything that your team share with you as a manager.
If you are concerned that your organisation has a psychologically unsafe working environment, remember, that the most important thing is that you’re now aware of it. Below we’ll share a few tips that will help you to develop psychological safety.