What is Psychological Safety?
Psychological safety refers to a culture in which individuals feel safe to take interpersonal risks like asking questions, admitting mistakes, or offering new ideas without fear of embarrassment, punishment, or rejection. Employees can’t always name it with the exact term of “psychological safety”, but they do know it when they experience it. Some key characteristics that your work culture is one where employees experience psychological safe are:
- Employees can be themselves. They feel respected regardless of role, background, personal characteristics, or opinion. They perceive that diverse perspectives are welcomed and valued.
- There is open communication. They feel safe to express ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes. Feedback is normalized, both giving and receiving it, is encouraged and handled constructively.
- Mutual respect, trust, & accountability. Trust exists between employees and leadership. Employees trust that their contributions will be fairly evaluated.
- There’s a culture of active listening. Listening is done in an attentive, empathetic, and non-judgmental way. Leaders and employees feel they are heard and understood.
- Supportive leadership & leader modeling. Leaders actively invite input and encourage participation from everyone. Leaders model vulnerability and encourage contribution. Leaders admit their own mistakes and show vulnerability.
- Tolerance for mistakes/support for risk taking. Mistakes are treated as learning opportunities rather than liabilities. Employees are not punished for taking smart risks or trying new approaches; even if they fail.
- Conflict is managed constructively. Leaders and employees can have disagreements which are addressed openly and respectfully. It is understood that conflict leads to growth and understanding, not hostility or fear for their job.
- There are clear expectations and boundaries. Employees understand their roles and what’s expected of them. They also understand that they are not required to overshare personal information by providing an explanation (e.g., why they need to leave early.)
What is the impact of psychological safety at work?
- Engagement & retention: Employees who feel valued, heard, and seen are much more likely to stay.
- Collaboration: Employees are more likely to support, help, and rely on one another.
- Problem solving: Problems are discussed and resolved with clear heads and diversity of thought to produce the best outcome.
- Innovation: Employees are more creative and willing to share novel ideas.
- Learning & adaptability: Mistakes are shared openly, not as a point of shame, but as a path to faster learning.
- Transparency: Employees are more willing to speak up, not withhold valuable information, and challenge poor decisions.
How to foster psychological safety in your workplace:
- Establish language used & norms in your workplace. Create shared team agreements and language used about how to interact respectfully.
- Model vulnerability: referencing important things they learned early in their careers to foster their growth. Leaders admitting their own mistakes sets a tone of openness. Leaders
- Encourage participation: Actively request input from all employees, especially the more reserved employees.
- Make time and space for reflection: Debriefs and retrospectives allowed for shared learning and collaboration. Best practices/processes are established from the lessons learned to light the path for others.
Psychological safety is not just a “nice to have” in your work culture, it’s essential for high-performing, innovative, and resilient teams. Leaders and organizations that actively build psychological safety can unlock the full potential of their people. Would you like to explore how to create this in your work culture? Reach out to us at Milestones HR, LLC at 608-370-4642 or angie@milestoneshr.com for a free, no obligation 30-minute exploration conversation. Check out our website at www.milestoneshr.com for our fractional human resources services.
Angie Addison, SHRM-CP, PHR
Milestones HR, LLC | Owner & Founder
www.milestoneshr.com
Contact Milestones HR, LLC at 608-370-4642 or angie@milestoneshr.com