by Bob Shogren, M.Ed., Casa Grande Alliance
Psychological safety is the shared belief that it’s safe to take interpersonal risks as a group. These risks include speaking up when there’s a problem with the team dynamics and sharing creative ideas, among others.
Leaders must maintain employee engagement by helping people feel comfortable and building the shared belief that the team is safe for risk-taking. According to Greg Barnett, Ph.D.:
1. Be engaged.
If employees feel you don’t pay attention when they speak, or that you don’t value their thoughts and opinions, they’ll shut down. Practice active listening by asking questions.
2. Show your team you understand.
Recap what’s been said. Use language like, “What I heard you say is ______. Is that correct?” This shows you want to understand their perspective. It also gives your team members an opportunity to clarify any misunderstanding.
3. Avoid blaming to build trust.
Focus on solutions. Instead of “What happened and why?” ask “How can we make sure this goes better next time?”
4. Be self-aware — demand the same from your team.
People bring their whole self to work
— their unique personalities, preferences and work styles. Build self-awareness by sharing how you work best, how you like to communicate, and how you like to be recognized. Encourage your team members to do the same.
5. Nip negativity.
If you have a team member who speaks negatively about peers, talk to them. Be clear; let them know you work together as a team and negativity will not be tolerated.
6. Include your team in decision making.
Ask for their input, thoughts and feedback. This will help them feel included in the decision-making process, and it will build psychological safety.
7. Be open to feedback.
When employees feel psychologically safe, they feel empowered to give feedback — up, down and across. They feel comfortable enough to knock on the CEO’s door when there’s critical information to share. Invite your team to challenge your perspective and push back. While this may be uncomfortable at first, healthy conflict leads to better decisions and greater accountability — making it a win all around.
8. Champion your team.
Let them know you’re on their side by supporting their personal and professional development.
Try one — or all — of these eight strategies for building psychological safety at work and see how it impacts your team.
