Psychological Safety
How Psychological Safety Can Support Your Organization’s Cultural Transformation Efforts?
In today's rapidly changing world, organizations increasingly recognize the importance of fostering diverse, equitable, and inclusive environments. Psychological safety is at the heart of these efforts, a critical ingredient enabling individuals to contribute their unique perspectives and talents fully.
Psychological safety and DEI are the same, though they work hand in hand in driving behavioral and cultural transformation. DEI efforts alone cannot thrive without the foundation of psychological safety, and cultural transformation cannot thrive without including agility (an organization's ability to adapt, innovate, and respond swiftly to changes), DEI, and psychological safety. When individuals feel psychologically safe, they are more likely to share their unique perspectives, challenge biases, and actively contribute to creating a culture of belonging.
Organizations need a combination of Agility, DEI, & Psychological Safety to drive Cultural Transformation. Source: The Rebirth Group
Understanding Psychological Safety:
Psychological safety, as coined by Harvard Professor and Author of “The Fearless Organization” Amy Edmonson, refers to the shared belief that one will not face negative consequences for speaking up, taking risks, or expressing ideas, opinions, or concerts within a group or organization. It is the bedrock of a healthy work environment, where individuals feel safe to be authentic, take interpersonal risks, and contribute fully to their teams.
“Psychological safety is a social condition in which human beings feel included, safe to learn, safe to contribute and safe to challenge the status quo - all without fear of being embarrassed, marginalized or punished in some way”
The Four Stages of Psychological Safety:
Full description of each stage of Psychological Safety. Source: Timothy Clark
How does psychological safety appear in organizations and teams? According to Timothy Clark, author of “The Four Stages of Psychological Safety,” the journey towards establishing psychological safety can be categorized into four progressive stages.
Inclusion Safety: Individuals feel a sense of acceptance and belonging, where they are included and respected for who they are, irrespective of their background, identity, or perspectives.
Learner Safety: Encourages individuals to take risks, share ideas, and engage in open dialogue without fear of criticism or humiliation. Mistakes are seen as opportunities for growth and learning, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Contributor Safety: Individuals feel confident expressing their unique perspectives, actively contributing to decision-making processes, and taking ownership of their work. Collaboration and diverse viewpoints are valued and sought after.
Challenger Safety: Empowers individuals to challenge the status quo, voice dissenting opinions, and ask difficult questions. Constructive conflicts are necessary for innovation and progress, enabling organizations to adapt and thrive in dynamic environments.
Embedding Psychological Safety into the Workforce
A study by Google, known as Project Aristotle, found that psychological safety was the most important factor in determining team effectiveness. Teams that lacked psychological safety struggled with coordination, communication, and collaboration, resulting in lower performance and productivity levels. Organizations can take proactive steps at the micro and macro levels to increase psychological safety within the workplace by considering the four essential steps:
1) Foster Inclusive Leadership: Psychological safety starts at the top, with leaders setting the tone for the organization.
Micro-level change: As Cultural Architects, leaders should actively listen, value diverse perspectives, and encourage open dialogue. This sets an example for others and signals that psychological safety is a priority.
Macro-level change: Implement leadership development programs that cultivate inclusive leadership skills and behaviors throughout the organization.
2) Encourage Open Communication: Create channels and platforms for open and transparent communication. Encourage employees to speak up, share their opinions, and express their concerns without fear of retaliation.
Micro-level: Create formal and informal channels, such as team meetings, town halls, feedback mechanisms, and digital platforms for sharing ideas and concerns. This empowers individuals to contribute their unique perspectives, fostering a sense of psychological safety.
Macro-level: Organizations can establish communication guidelines at the macro level that promote respect, active listening, and constructive feedback.
3) Embrace Mistakes as Learning Opportunities: Build a culture that views mistakes as opportunities for growth and learning.
Micro-level: Encourage employees to take risks, experiment, and learn from failures. Celebrate and share stories of resilience and growth following setbacks. Remove the fear of judgment or punishment.
Macro level: Organizations can implement learning and development programs that promote a growth mindset and create a safe space for employees to discuss and learn from their mistakes
4) Promote Collaboration & Team Support: Create an environment that values collaboration, teamwork, and support. Foster a sense of collective responsibility and emphasize that everyone's contributions are essential for success.
Micro-level: Create a supportive and inclusive team dynamic.
Macro-level: Organizations can implement collaborative tools to establish team-building activities and recognize and reward collaborative efforts.
“True excellence thrives in an environment where all voices are heard, risks are embraced, and challenges are welcomed. By nurturing inclusion safety, fostering learner safety, empowering contributor safety, and championing challenger safety, we forge the path to unparalleled team dynamics and a culture of high performance. ”
Consequences of Lack of Psychological Safety at Work:
On the other hand, an absence of psychological safety can stifle diversity and hinder inclusion, collaboration, and growth.
Here are three different consequences of a lack of psychological safety at work:
Talent Retention: Without psychological safety, talented employees may feel stifled, undervalued, or marginalized, leading to lower job satisfaction and increased attrition rates. Research conducted by Gallup found that just 3 out of 10 employees feel like their opinions are valued at work compared to 7 out of 10 employees who don’t feel like they can actively contribute. In contrast, organizations prioritizing psychological safety experience higher employee retention rates and attract top talent.
High Turnover Rates: When employees feel unsafe speaking up, sharing concerns, or challenging the status quo, they may become disengaged, frustrated, or burnt out. This can increase turnover as employees seek more supportive and inclusive work environments. The cost of employee turnover is significant, both in terms of financial resources and the loss of institutional knowledge.
Organizational Culture: Fear, distrust, and a culture of silence can prevail in an environment devoid of psychological safety. Employees may be reluctant to take risks, offer innovative ideas, or collaborate openly, leading to stagnant organizational growth and limited creativity. This can hinder productivity and the ability to adapt to change, creating a toxic work atmosphere.
Diversity of Thought: If we don’t strive to create psych safety, we miss out on the diversity of opinions, thoughts, and ideas. Employees who feel unsafe expressing their unique perspectives or challenging biases may go unheard, hindering innovation and creativity.
Increasing Psychological Safety for Black Workers:
Strategies to help boost psychological safety for Black Workers. Source: The Rebirth Group
Black Workers, especially Black Women, often struggle to find feelings of inclusion, connection, and trust in the workplace, exacerbated by historical and sociocultural factors. Research shows that Black Women are more likely to face threats to their physical and psychological safety, experiencing microaggressions at higher rates compared to other racial groups. Shockingly, a significant 66% of Black women report feeling emotionally unsafe at work, as highlighted by a 2022 report from Black Women Thriving (BWT). Here are the 4 Strategies to Increase Psychological Safety for Black Workers within your organization:
Recognize: Learn to identify and respond to microaggressions in real-time situations.
Reflect: Consider past instances of inaction during microaggressions, exploring obstacles and strategies for future intervention.
Amplify: Leverage your privilege to actively support and amplify the contributions of Black workers, especially black women, in the workplace.
Address: Educate yourself on biases in the interview process, seeking accountability and mitigation strategies from trusted colleagues.
10 Steps to Drive Cultural Transformation:
10 Steps to help organizations drive their cultural transformation efforts. Source: The Rebirth Group
Driving cultural transformation is imperative to foster psychologically safe, agile, and inclusive workplaces. Here are ten essential steps to help drive your organization’s cultural transformation efforts:
1. Define Vision & Values: Establish clear organizational vision and values to guide cultural transformation.
2. Assess Current Culture: Evaluate existing workplace culture to identify strengths and areas for improvement.
3. Define Leadership Commitment: Ensure leadership's dedication and active involvement in driving cultural change.
4. Communicate Expectations: Clearly communicate cultural expectations and objectives to all stakeholders.
5. Empower Employees: Encourage employee involvement and empowerment in the transformation process.
6. Provide Training & Development: Offer relevant training and development programs to support cultural evolution.
7. Implement Accountability Measures: Establish mechanisms to hold individuals and teams accountable for cultural alignment.
8. Celebrate Successes: Recognize and celebrate milestones and achievements in cultural transformation.
9. Address Resistance: Proactively address resistance to change through open communication and support mechanisms.
10. Iterate and Adapt: Continuously assess progress, solicit feedback, and adapt strategies to sustain cultural transformation efforts.
Organizations that fail to cultivate psychological safety risk losing talented employees, experiencing higher turnover rates, and fostering a stagnant and unproductive work environment. Conversely, organizations prioritizing psychological safety create an environment where employees feel valued, empowered, and engaged, leading to enhancing talent retention, driving high productivity, and creating a vibrant and inclusive organizational culture