Driving Organizational Performance with Psychological Safety
It’s no secret that organizational performance hinges on how well employees can do their jobs, yet creating the right environment to enable them is a challenge for many senior leaders. Establishing psychological safety in the workplace – an atmosphere in which individuals feel comfortable expressing themselves and providing feedback without fear of judgment or retribution – is essential to unlocking and sustaining performance growth. In this article, we’ll explore why psychological safety matters, how to create it, and the benefits it brings to organizations[^1^].
Why Psychological Safety is Critical in the Workplace
First, it’s important to understand why psychological safety is so critical in the workplace. To maintain high performance and quality standards, employees must be able to receive feedback and learn from mistakes without fear of reprimand or alienation. Without psychological safety, employees may feel too intimidated to speak up with ideas or concerns, leaving their potential contributions to organizational success untapped[^2^].
Additionally, a psychologically safe work environment encourages creativity and collaboration – both necessary ingredients for innovation and long-term sustainability[^3^].
Creating Psychological Safety
So how can leaders create psychological safety within their teams?
Model the Behavior You Expect
One way is to model the behavior you expect from your staff. Lead by example when it comes to giving constructive feedback without judgment and showing appreciation for employee input. Also, emphasize that mistakes are part of the learning process – rather than punishing someone for making an error, use it as an opportunity for growth by helping them develop a plan for improvement[^4^].
Create an Open Dialogue
Another key component is communication – create an open dialogue between team members and managers so that everyone feels comfortable voicing their opinions without fear of negative repercussions. This could include weekly check-ins or monthly team meetings where everyone can provide honest feedback on their experiences and ask questions on any topics that may be causing confusion or anxiety. By creating these dedicated spaces for two-way conversations, leaders can demonstrate their commitment to psychological safety while also strengthening relationships between colleagues[^5^].
Welcome All Perspectives
Finally, recognize the importance of diversity and inclusion – having a variety of voices involved ensures that all perspectives are heard which can lead to better decisions being made. Showing respect towards every team member regardless of differences in backgrounds or beliefs will foster greater trust among team members which in turn will enhance psychological safety within the workplace overall[^6^].
The Benefits of Fostering Psychological Safety
The benefits of fostering psychological safety go beyond individual performance gains – studies have shown that it leads to greater job satisfaction overall and improved morale within organizations as well as increased productivity on projects due to enhanced collaboration among team members[^7^]. Leaders who prioritize creating an environment that fosters open dialogue and encourages problem-solving are more likely to attract top talent who value being part of a psychologically safe workplace where they can contribute meaningfully while developing personally at the same time[^8^].
Summary
- Creating psychological safety within an organization is essential if leaders want to unlock performance growth among their workforce.
- Model the behaviors you wish to see from others
- Have open communication between managers and staff
- Embrace diversity in all forms
- Reward learning from mistakes rather than punishing them.
Doing this not only yields stronger individual performances but better collaboration between colleagues leading ultimately to higher levels of job satisfaction across the board – something every leader should strive for[^9^]!
[^1^]: Edmondson, A. (2016). Building a psychologically safe workplace. TEDx Talks. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhoLuui9gX8
[^2^]: Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. Academy of Management Journal, 33(4), 692-724.
[^3^]: Nemeth, C. J., & Nemeth-Brown, B. (2003). Better than individuals? The potential benefits of dissent and diversity for group creativity. In P.B. Paulus, & B.A. Nijstad (Eds.), Group Creativity (pp. 63-84). Oxford University Press.
[^4^]: Duhigg, C. (2016). What Google learned from its quest to build the perfect team. New York Times Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/what-google-learned-from-its-quest-to-build-the-perfect-team.html
[^5^]: Edmondson, A. C. (2003). Speaking up in the operating room: How team leaders promote learning in interdisciplinary action teams. Journal of Management Studies, 40(6), 1419-1452.
[^6^]: Shore, L. M., Randel, A. E., Chung, B. G., Dean, M. A., Ehrhart, K. H., & Singh, G. (2011). Inclusion and diversity in work groups: A review and model for future research. Journal of Management, 37(4), 1262-1289.
[^7^]: Delizonna, L. (2017). High-performing teams need psychological safety. Here’s how to create it. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2017/08/high-performing-teams-need-psychological-safety-heres-how-to-create-it
[^8^]: Edmondson, A. C., & Lei, Z. (2014). Psychological safety: The history, renaissance, and future of an interpersonal construct. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 1, 23-43.
[^9^]: Porath, C. (2016). How incivility kills collaboration. Strategy+Business Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.strategy-business.com/blog/How-Incivility-Kills-Collaboration?gko=1f7a9