Psychological Safety is not something discussed very often but is crucial if you want to grow an innovative business.
What is Psychological Safety?
Psychological Safety is the feeling of being safe to share ideas, feelings, concerns, and raise issues within an environment. When an environment is safe, team members feel as if they can contribute, share, and raise concerns without worry of being threatened or losing status within the company.
On the flip side, if employees do not feel safe, they will hold back their thoughts and ideas for fear of repercussions.
Having a safe environment fosters growth and innovation, whereas an unsafe environment will cause stagnation.
Does Your Culture Provide Psychological Safety?
The main question on most leaders’ minds is do I have a culture of psychological safety? And if not, how do I achieve this culture.
Here are some steps to take.
- Set the example through showing empathy and support. You as the leader need to take the lead in showing empathy and support to others. If you show support for others who speak up and share, this will create an environment that follows.
- Accepting failing as part of learning and make it a positive experience. Failure is often seen as a negative, especially to employees. As the leader, you have the ability to change that and rephrase your company’s feeling towards failure, changing it to a learning and growth experience as opposed to a negative one.
- Foster Participation. Engage your team during meetings, ask for participation, and empower people. This will help to create a safe and supportive environment.
- Be Open for Feedback. No one is perfect and being open for feedback can help you to grow as a leader. Be open and allow for anonymous feedback.
Innovation will not happen unless you create the supportive culture it requires. If you are wanting to grow your business, then start with your culture. Ensure you have a safe environment and foster participation. This will create innovation and growth in your company, as well as a happier working environment.