How do we increase psychological safety in teams
Here, we dive into the current topic of psychological safety. Uncover the 'what,' 'why,' and six must-know factors to cultivate it further within your teams and organisations.
Why does psychological safety matter?
Google found that psychological safety was the defining characteristic of high-performing teams, and Harvard Business Review indicated that psychologically safe teams outperformed their counterparts by a significant margin.
When teams feel psychologically safe, they contribute more creatively, take better care of customers and patients, make better decisions and are more engaged with their work.
How could psychological safety in your organisation improve the outcomes of your work?
Creating psychological safety in your team - 6 questions to ask yourself
As leaders, we set the tone through our actions, policies, and communication. If you’re interested in championing psychological safety, here are six questions to consider:
🌟 Leading by Example: Do I admit mistakes and encourage open dialogue? Setting this precedent boosts psychological safety.
🌈 Promoting Inclusivity: How do I ensure diverse voices are encouraged and valued? How do I respond to differing viewpoints? Valuing diversity, including cognitive diversity, is key for psychological safety.
🔊 Encouraging Feedback: How do I ask for feedback? How often? Has it been implemented? Openness to change enhances psychological safety.
📚 Learning with Your Team: How knowledgeable is my team about psychological safety? How can we collectively build it?
🛠️ Face the Tough Issues: How can I foster direct conversations within my team? What needs to change for a safer, more honest environment? When do we discuss HOW we work together, not just WHAT we’re working on? Learning more about how we ‘tick’ and what strengths we bring to the team can be a great way of increasing understanding and collaboration and reducing conflict. Click here for more information and for a blog on this topic.
📊 Measuring: How is psychological safety assessed in our team or organisation? Where can we improve and what's holding us back? Regular assessment leads to action and improved outcomes.
What’s next for your team? Which of these does your team do well?
Where are the areas for growth? What would this mean doing differently? What are the first steps towards this?
If you’d like to discuss how to increase psychological safety in your team/s, executive team coaching, executive coaching, and effective leadership training can be very effective. If you’d like an informal chat I’d love to hear from you.
Kate Jennings