The latest buzzword to hit Aussie workplaces is ‘psychological safety’. But very few businesses understand what it really means – or how to achieve it.
Not familiar? It’s all about creating a culture where people feel safe to raise ideas, ask questions and provide feedback without fear of punishment or attack. Sounds good!
The alternative?
Without this, companies end up with a ‘yes culture’ where people toe the line and say what they think others want to hear, says life and business coach Christina Foxwell: “They don’t want to rock the boat, so they just sit on the fence because they are scared to be honest and say what they really think for fear of reprisal. They have seen too many people be humiliated and punished for speaking up.”
Whilst this isn’t an ideal way for an individual to get through their working life, it doesn’t make good business sense either. Because no one is challenging thinking or coming up with new ways of working.
Instead, implementing psychological safety will build honest, open, resilient and forward-thinking workplace cultures. Here, innovation and improvement are sought out daily – and people are valued for their transparency, input and efforts.
Psychological safety – how to
- Encourage meaningful, robust, authentic and positive connections with people in the workplace: “It is nearly impossible to engage in meaningful dialogue unless you have a good connection with the people with whom you are interacting. Connections enable people to get to know each other and build trust. Once you have a good connection, you can talk about things in an open and safe way.”
- Ask team members about their interests, hobbies, and skills that they may have that you’re not aware of: “This invites them to contribute in a much more meaningful way to the team and recognises their greater value to the business.”
- Encouraging innovation and ideas is important, as is seeking feedback: “It is only possible to seek honest, open feedback from people when they feel safe. This is the key premise of a psychologically safe workplace. People need to feel safe and know their feedback will be valued and positively taken on board.”
- Take advantage of the international standard for psychological safety: “ISO45003 is the first global standard to give practical guidance on managing psychological health in the workplace. It guides psychosocial risk management as part of an occupational health and safety management system.”