Psychological Safety – What does that mean?

Harvard Business Professor Amy Edmonson defines it as “a sense of confidence that the team will not embarrass, reject, or punish someone for speaking up. It describes a team climate characterized by interpersonal trust and mutual respect in which people are comfortable being themselves.” That is a great definition, but how does it play out in the workplace?

When you think of developing a culture of psychological safety, several things come into play including your predecessor. In 3 of the organizations with whom I have worked, a toxic leader left ramifications of their behavior long after they left. I have coined the term, Post-traumatic Boss Disorder or PTBD to represent this. Even though the new leader wants their people to speak up and communicate honestly, they have to work hard to rebuild trust and let their people know it is safe to speak openly. This played out when Alan Mulally took over Ford in 2006. Although the organization was slated to lose 17 billion dollars all of the leadership teams reported that things were going well in their organizations. He replaced the culture with one of safety and trust rather than the fear of reprisal when reporting issues, and it turned Ford Motor company around.

To create a safe environment Leaders, need to:

  • Work hard to establish a climate of trust through integrity and empathy
  • Their ideas matter and will be heard even if they cannot be implemented
  • There is an opportunity for two-way communication which is especially important to the youngest employees
  • Focus on coaching not blaming
  • Encourage innovation
  • Recognize employees’ efforts

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