Psychological Safety
How can leaders build trust and develop psychological safety?
Leaders and managers are often directed to reward outcome not effort, but in order to create psychological safety we need to carve out space for practice.
Celebrate successes and learn from failures.
Leaders who celebrate successes and failures as learning opportunities show that they value hard work and they are committed to employee growth and development. Celebrating failures includes positive recognition for a values-based approach, even when the results aren't successful.
Additional tips for building trust and developing psychological safety:
Get to know your team members on a personal level. This will help you to build rapport.
Be vulnerable. Be human. Share your own stories and experiences with your team members.
Be consistent. Be honest and transparent and follow through on your commitments.
Create a safe space for team members to share their ideas and feedback. This means creating culture of feedback and an environment where everyone feels valued.
Encourage team members to support each other. This can be done through team-building activities, mentorship programs, and other initiatives.
Need ideas for building effective teams? We got you.
Building trust and developing psychological safety is essential for high-performing teams.
Research has shown that trust and psychological safety have a number of benefits for teams and organizations. Teams with high levels of trust and psychological safety are more likely to:
Be more innovative and creative
Be more productive
Make better decisions
Be more resilient in the face of challenges
Have higher levels of employee engagement and satisfaction
By being transparent and honest, open to feedback, supportive and empowering, and celebrating successes and learning from failures, leaders can create a team culture where everyone feels safe to take risks, be creative, and do their best work. This creates positive and successful futures.
Reading on psychological safety
4 Steps to Create Psychological Safety (Fast Company)
How to Build Psychological Safety on Your Team (McKinsey & Company)
The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth (Amy C. Edmondson)