Why to Create a Psychologically Safe Workplace
Wednesday, October 12, 2022 - Joe Kiedinger
Do you feel comfortable admitting you don’t know something or asking for help? Can you share a different perspective during work meetings without fear of negative consequences?
At Prophit Co., we’ve always believed in creating an open, accepting culture where people can feel free to be themselves, flaws and all.
It’s called psychological safety and it’s an essential cultural element your team needs to get after.
Benefits of a Psychologically Safe Workplace
When our employees feel safe sharing their honest thoughts and throwing ideas out there to see if they’ll stick, we create an atmosphere of trust and innovation. According to McKinsey & Company, “psychological safety is a precursor to adaptive, innovative performance—which is needed in today’s rapidly changing environment.”
It also lowers workers’ stress by making it acceptable to talk about struggles openly, whether business or personal. As leaders, when we’re aware of our associates’ lives, we become more compassionate and understand when flexibility is needed.
Psychologically safe workplaces also make employees feel valued. When leaders take the time to get to know their staff, ask personal questions, and show interest in their ideas, it’s motivating and fosters a healthy culture.
Where Do I Start?
Like most long-lasting, organization-wide changes, it needs to start with leadership. Invest in your leaders with leadership development programs that “equip leaders to embody these behaviors consequently cultivate psychological safety across the organization.” When leaders demonstrate the change they wish to see, it sets your entire company on the right path.
One of the best ways to understand the concept of psychological safety is seeing it in action. That’s why you’ve got to check out the most recent episode of my podcast, The Dignity Dialogue. Our guest, Bill Harrigan, shared the remarkably inspiring story of lifting up people who’ve faced incredible life struggles and empowering and developing their leadership skills. Listen here: https://learn.dignify.com/category/dignity-dialogue/
JOE KIEDINGER
ACTION PLAN: Want to dig in deeper with psychological safety? Re-imagine what it means to lead with our personal coaching and leadership development courses: https://learn.dignify.com/leadership-reimagined/