The Role of Psychological Safety in High-Performing Teams

The lack of interpersonal dread is psychological safety. People may function at their highest level at work, school, and home when they feel psychologically protected. Feeling secure enough to take chances with others, speak out, argue candidly, and voice concerns without worrying about the consequences or feeling under pressure to sugarcoat bad news is known as psychological safety. 

An atmosphere of psychological comfort encourages people to express their innovative ideas without worrying about offending anyone or tripping on toes. Sharing feedback with others, particularly critical upward input to leaders about areas that need development or changes, seems secure in this type of setting. It’s acceptable to own up to mistakes, show vulnerability, and challenge authority.

Since Amy Edmondson, a professor at Harvard Business School, first used the term in 1999, the advantages of psychological safety in the workplace have been widely recognised. An overwhelming 89 per cent of employees who responded to a McKinsey study stated that they think psychological safety in the workplace is crucial.

Although it helps people feel good at work, psychological safety has other benefits as well. While it does contribute to a more inclusive and diverse workplace, it does more than that. Beyond the soft stuff, psychological safety has a significant impact on team effectiveness, learning, employee retention, and, above all, better performance and decision-making.

Read More: A Psychology-backed Guide to Decision-Making

Which Leadership Competencies Are Critical to Psychological Safety?

Leaders are born. However, the majority of us gain from leadership training, as do our businesses. According to McKinsey research, funding leadership development at all organisational levels fosters the kinds of leadership practices that improve psychological safety. Senior leaders are 64 per cent more likely to be rated as inclusive by staff members who say their companies make significant investments in leadership development. However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Leaders may cultivate psychological safety in their teams by honing a few specific skills. These consist of: 

• Situational humility, which teaches leaders how to cultivate curiosity and a personal-growth mentality 
• Open-dialogue skills which enable leaders to examine disputes and resolve conflicts in a team sponsorship or put others’ success ahead of one’s own.

Read More: How to Provide Psychological First Aid? 

How might programs for developing leaders promote psychological safety?

Psychological safety promotes optimal performance in individuals and organisations as a whole. However, psychological research indicates that determining where to begin might be challenging. Here are three strategies for achieving the objective:

• Implement a scaled system of leadership development instead of relying solely on one-time training sessions. A single training program typically does not affect human behaviour. When there is a well-defined objective and a thorough plan for achieving it, behaviour modification is successful. Capabilities that apply to people’s daily jobs and further the overarching objective should be the focus of skill development.

• Invest in leadership development activities that evoke feelings, stimulate the senses, and lead to epiphanies. Your average “slide deck in a conference room” training is far less memorable than immersive, captivating leadership development programs. The learning process itself, together with the associated sensitivity and introspection, should be the main focus rather than the subject matter.

• Provide systems to integrate growth into leaders’ daily tasks. The practice is where it truly matters; training and skill development are the theory; integrating those abilities into daily tasks is the practice. The first people to adopt new skills should be senior leaders, who should also openly demonstrate how they learn.

Read More: Transformational listening: Did the pandemic help us return to a forgotten skills?

How can Managers help their Staff Members with their Mental Health? 

People may suffer greatly from behavioural health issues. Nine out of ten companies polled during the COVID-19 pandemic stated that stress from the outbreak had an impact on the productivity and mental health of their employees. Employers can take the following six possible steps to address behavioural health issues in the workplace:

• Lessen the stigma. According to a recent survey, 75% of employers admitted that stigma exists in their workplaces. Training in mental health literacy can aid in eradicating stigma. Modules on non-stigmatising language and the extension of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to encompass neurodiversity are examples of this.
• Put workplace initiatives to assist mental health into action and actively support them. The average use rate for employee assistance programs is only around 5 per cent. If a company is serious about enhancing the mental health of its workers, its management should aggressively support initiatives that motivate staff members to participate.
• Make ensuring that access to physical and mental health services is equal. According to a 2019 study, people are five to six times more likely to seek mental healthcare from out-of-network providers than for physical healthcare, which may result in out-of-pocket expenses.
• Turn on digital access points. Nowadays, the majority of employer-sponsored behavioural health programs are provided online or virtually through tablets, cellphones, and fitness trackers. Employees can choose how they wish to interact with behavioural healthcare through digital and virtual mental health options.
• Integrate the delivery of healthcare. By providing telehealth, increasing access to peer-supported or community-based crisis services, and improving access to evidence-based therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy, employers can combine mental and physical healthcare.
• Determine behavioral health needs and care preferences using analytics and employee input. Instead than depending on one-size-fits-all solutions, customize healthcare products to the workforce in question.

Read More: Psychologist’s Insights on Empathy and its Psychological Foundations

In Times of Crisis, How Can Leaders Unite Their Communities?

Leaders can enhance their capacity to listen, calm, and encourage forward motion by introspecting to develop the traits of awareness, vulnerability, empathy, and compassion. Turning outward can assist leaders in uniting a community while a crisis develops, allowing the group to come out stronger. Compassionate leadership can move a community ahead in the following ways:

• Gain insight into the situation and make sense of it. By exposing their concerns and anxieties and displaying genuine vulnerability, leaders can facilitate healing.
• Encourage inclusion and a sense of belonging. Leaders are essential in promoting free speech, ensuring that everyone feels heard, and fostering a coordinated crisis response. They can achieve this by treating people with unwavering respect, refraining from passing judgment, and embracing the variety of ways that people express themselves. These steps can reduce stress and increase employee dedication.
• Take care of individuals through compassionate acts. Leaders have a unique chance to role model compassion and caring, which can be vital in disaster recovery.

Conclusion 

One essential element of high-performing teams is psychological safety. Teams can reach their maximum potential by cultivating an atmosphere of open communication, respect, trust, and challenger safety. Teams’ performance, cooperation, and general efficacy increase when they feel free to take chances, exchange ideas, and offer frank criticism. Putting money into psychological safety is an investment in creating teams that are resilient, creative, and effective.

FAQ’s

1. What is psychological safety?

The lack of interpersonal dread is psychological safety. People may function at their highest level at work, school, and home when they feel psychologically protected.

2. How can leaders unite their community? 

Gain insight into the situation and make sense of it. By exposing their own concerns and anxieties and displaying genuine vulnerability, leaders can facilitate healing.

3. What are open dialogue skills? 

Open-dialogue skills which enable leaders to examine disputes and resolve conflicts in a team sponsorship or putting others’ success ahead of one’s own .