So why is Psychological Safety such an important ingredient in your work culture?
Sounds kind of fluffy, do we really need it?
First off, what is psychological safety? It’s the shared belief that a team is SAFE to take interpersonal risks without harsh consequences.
Without it, innovation, creativity, and problem solving are all squashed.
Doesn’t sound so fluffy anymore.
- Brainstorming Sessions
- Creative Problem Solving
- Premortems
- Postmortems
- Healthy Accountability
- Upward Feedback from the Frontlines
- Skip Level Meetings
- Iterations on New Offerings
First and foremost, don’t freak out when someone challenges the status quo. Instead, actively listen and seek to understand their position. Ask “how” and “what happens if…” questions and invest just a few minutes into understanding each other.
Second, establish clear norms for handling failure and fumbles. Especially when your team takes risks to hit big goals. Create a learning conversation around situations, not a finger-pointing session.
Third, model vulnerability. It’s okay to make mistakes, in fact it’s actually proven to increase your influence as the leader. So step up and admit when you don’t have the answer. Use that opportunity to model what your team should do in that situation.
Ready to build psychological safety within your team? Contact Benchmark Training to meet with an Executive Coach.
