Psychological safety is a workplace culture where people feel comfortable taking risks and expressing themselves without fear of being judged, ridiculed, or punished. It is a sense of trust and belonging that allows employees to be themselves and contribute their best work.
Here are some of the benefits of psychological safety in the workplace:
- Increased innovation and creativity
- Improved decision-making
- Reduced conflict and stress
- Increased employee engagement and satisfaction
- Increased productivity
Here are some of the signs of a psychologically safe workplace:
- Employees feel comfortable asking questions and sharing ideas.
- Employees feel comfortable admitting mistakes.
- Employees feel comfortable giving and receiving feedback.
- Employees feel comfortable speaking up about concerns.
Here are some of the things leaders can do to create a psychologically safe workplace:
- Set a clear expectation of psychological safety.
- Model psychological safety behavior.
- Create opportunities for employees to get to know each other.
- Encourage employees to take risks and share ideas.
- Be open to feedback.
- Resolve conflict constructively.
Psychological safety is an important factor in creating a high-performing workplace. By creating a culture where employees feel safe to take risks and be themselves, leaders can unleash the creativity and innovation that drive business success.
Here are some additional resources that you may find helpful:
- The Importance of Psychological Safety in the Workplace: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/leadership/five-fifty-is-it-safe
- What Is Psychological Safety?: https://hbr.org/2023/02/what-is-psychological-safety
- 8 Ways to Create Psychological Safety in the Workplace: https://www.predictiveindex.com/blog/psychological-safety-in-the-workplace/
- What Is Psychological Safety at Work? How Leaders Can Build Psychologically Safe Workplaces: https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/what-is-psychological-safety-at-work/
