How to Create a Psychologically Safe Workplace?

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How to Create a Psychologically Safe Workplace?

Optimum utilisation of every employee’s knowledge and contribution today is a must for most organizations. However, in order for employees to be willing to share their ideas and know-how, it's important that they are encouraged and feel free to do so. Psychologically safe workplaces aim to offer such environment.

What exactly is a 'psychologically safe workplace'?
In 1965 Edgar Schein and Warren Bennis raised the notion of psychological safety in workplaces. Edmondson and Lei developed the concept further and explained that it is about people’s perceptions of reducing interpersonal risk, which always manifests in times of uncertainty and change. And William Kahn has explained how psychological safety leads to employee engagement: when they feel safe they choose to give of themselves – physically, intellectually and emotionally – without any fear of reprisal.

Yet after more than three decades this ideal eludes many organisations. Some even speak of 'culture chasms' between leaders and their followers, where co-operation is stunted, creativity suffers, employees are unhappy and remain silent on important issues. They are fearful of the consequences of being honest and learn to 'suck it up' rather than to 'speak up' (They don't raise what researchers term the 'employee voice' and are not engaged).

Such a situation will only change when employees feel included, safe, valued, trusted, are respected (and have their views respected). Only then will they engage cognitively, emotionally and socially – and will willingly share their knowledge, experiences, feelings.

So, what is needed to create psychologically safe workplaces? What are the key ingredients of such an environment and culture? What is the role of leaders and middle management in bringing about this desired state? 💡Please reply your ideas and experiences. Thank you.

Sources:
Derber, Charles, 2000, "The Pursuit of Attention: Power and Ego in Everyday Life", Oxford University Press, 2nd Edition
Edmondson, Amy C. and Lei, Zhike, 2014, "Psychological Safety: The History, Renaissance, and Future of an Interpersonal Construct", article (pdf)

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		2 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	Trust and Psychological Safety Zhang et al., 2010, mentioned that a significant antecedent (~a preceding/preexisting thing) of psychological safety is TRUST. Trust is playing an important role in knowledge sharing. But psychological safety and trust shouldn't be mixed up. 3 differences between psychological safety and trust are that: - Psychological safety focuses on a belief about a group norm. Trust focuses on a belief that one person has about another. - Psychological safety is defined by how group members think they are viewed by others in the group. Trust is defined by how one person views another person. - Psychological safety is based on trust. Source: Zhang et al., 2010, "Exploring the role of psychological safety in promoting the intention to continue sharing knowledge in virtual communities", International Journal of Information Management, 30 (5), P. 425–436.

		1 Graham Williams Management Consultant, South Africa
	How to Build Trust and Psychological Safety in Workplaces Yes! Trust is a hugely important factor in Psychological Safety. I was once a victim of speaking truth to power against an illegal industry collusion, which had severe career limiting consequences! The closed-loop, self-reinforcing cycle of speak up – listen up – jointly act is helpful and I have found that a confidential, inherently respectful and empowering process like CultureScan works well here. Decided actions are owned and implemented by those who speak out in psychologically safe anecdote circles. Many organisations try training or disciplinary action or putting rules in place or other approaches - to attempt to overcome negatives like employee’s fear of speaking up, unconscious biases, fragmentations of conscience - which approaches don't go very far to engender trust (especially in military style, command and control hierarchies). This is like using sticking plaster when surgery is needed. Better I think to build a positive culture of trust by focusing on leadership by example, creating workplaces where people feel they belong (and where trust becomes a natural ‘fall-out’); and facilitating psychological/ ethical maturity and resilience (that is – an agent-based rather than a rules-based dynamic). Harder work but more lasting and sustainable.

		3 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	Psychological Safety for Interactive 2.0 Websites Psychological safety is also important for interactive web sites such as 12manage. We want our members to feel safe to share their opinion, know-how or experiences. That's why we developed several features, including: 1. The option to use a "pseudonym" in your profile (not your real name). 2. The option to use an "avatar" in your profile (a random graphic instead of your own picture). 3. The option to "post anonymously" in a specific discussion. 4. Moderation of any derogatory comments or personal attacks. These options are meant to increase and guarantee the psychological safety of our members.

		3 Robert Stewart Manager, United States
	Three Pillars to Create a Psychologically Safe Workplace I have been in leadership for over 35 years. In that time I have learned what to do and what not to do, based on given situations and environments. However, one thing I have learned about a psychologically safe workplace is that trust is paramount. Trust is one of the THREE PILLARS I like to describe that makes a leader successful and allows them to create a successful and fulfilling culture. The first (other) two are respect and loyalty. These 3 things are two-way; leaders must respect and be loyal to their employees first, building respect and loyalty from the teams that are led. Once respect and loyalty are established, the most powerful part of the triad comes into being, trust. It is in trust that the safe workspace is built!

		2 Anonymous
	Psychologically Safe Workplace? is it Safety or Employee Engagement Which is Needed? Not sure safety is the essential ingredient here. Employee awareness of his team, deep understanding of strategic objectives, adherence of employee to strategy, company culture based on respect, integ...

		2 Prof. Arup Barman Professor, India
	Humanistic Management for Psychological Safety Psychological safety at the workplace is a consequence of long-standing management practice, culture, and communication embedded by a philosophy. The philosophy behind psychological safety is dependen...

		2 Gandhi Heryanto Management Consultant, Indonesia
	How to Build Work Cultures of Psychological Safety Rather Than Fear The costs of fear within an organization can be massive, as Amy C. Edmondson discusses in her new book The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovatio...

		1 Robert Stewart Manager, United States
	Psychologically Safe Workplace? is it Safety or Employee Engagement Which is Needed? Absolutely! I think Simon Senik hit the nail on the head when he spoke in his book, Leaders Eat Last, of the importance of an emotionally safe work space. When people feel safe, they are more producti...

		1 Jimmy Claros Manager, Peru
	How to Create a Psychologically Safe Workplace? Leaders need to be honest, cultivate trust and model desired behavior by example. Diversity, recognition, discipline and equal opportunities could be key ingredients....

		1 Prof. Arup Barman Professor, India
	Preconditions for Psychologically Safe Workplace Psychologically secured workplace can be identified by many attributes. These attributes more or less reflect the absence of negative behaviour in the workplace. We can ask ourselves in workplace ques...

		1 Prof. Arup Barman Professor, India
	Ensuring Psychological Safety through the Exercise and Design of Human Excellence An open challenge to the world of management intellects is: "does any company manage to develop human excellence"? Is there any example or evidence of management thinker(s) or think-tanks who are thin...

		0 Graham Williams Management Consultant, South Africa
	How to Create a Psychologically Safe Workplace? Prof Arup Barman - I like your list of preconditions for a psychologically safe workplace. The danger of people not being free to speak up is the focus of this article....

		0 Prof. Arup Barman Professor, India
	Reply to Graham Williams Thanks for your comment and reaction. With my humble knowledge I want to exert that management thinkers are keeping their views for themselves attempting to save their faces. But, in a real sense no o...

		2 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	2 Key Benefits of Psychologically Safe Workplaces @Graham Williams: Indeed according to Megan Reitz and John Higgins in their new book “Speak Up – say what needs to be said and hear what needs to be heard”, creating workplaces where openness and tran...

		0 Graham Williams Management Consultant, South Africa
	2 Key Benefits of Psychologically Safe Workplaces @Jaap de Jonge: Agree! A longstanding friend, Annette Simmons produced a book in 1999 which I still refer to: A Safe Place for Dangerous Truths....

		1 Anonymous
	Remove Toxic Management First thanks for taking the initiative to launch this topic. I was employed at La Banque Postale in France in 2009 - 2012 where I was faced myself with a psychologically unstable environment, because...

		2 Graham Williams Management Consultant, South Africa
	Remove Toxic Management Thank you for sharing from real experience and hurt Stephane. I am drawn to the belief that true leadership is in many ways counter-intuitive: descending (letting go, retreating, emptying self, nurtur...

		2 Graham Williams Management Consultant, South Africa
	The Behavior of the Leader in Creating a Psychologically Safe Workplace One of the insights in the Reitz and Higgins publication mentioned above is need for LEADERS to regulate their emotions effectively, and even more importantly to be able to frequently, habitually expr...

		2 Prof. Arup Barman Professor, India
	Managing Through Consciousness To achieve a psychological safe workplace a different approach towards managing the work is required. A psychological safe workplace can be ensured only when Collective Consciousness rules over the wo...

		2 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	Learned Lessons of Establishing Psychologically Safe Workplaces Thanks everybody, I think together we collected some good clues on this important subject. Here a quick recap to summarize so far: To create innovative companies and avoid corporate disasters, emp...

		2 Graham Williams Management Consultant, South Africa
	How to Create a Psychologically Safe Workplace For those who are wanting to explore this topic further, take a look at "The Psychologically Safe Imperative": Applaud Employees for Speaking Out. Good thoughts also from @Jimmy Claros. This subject ...

		1 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	Leader Vulnerability - Sharing Feedback About Yourself Sharing feedback about yourself as a leader/manager is another idea that is recently reported to be conducive to creating psychological safety among your team members. Note the difference with merely...