Last year, I read the first line of a Harvard Business Review article that sent literal shivers down my spine: “Have you ever attended a meeting that wasn’t a meeting?”
If you’ve spent any time in corporate America, you know exactly the kind of non-meeting meeting the article is talking about: the kind where everyone is agreeable and nice while the meeting’s happening, but the minute you file out of the conference room, the real meeting starts to happen.
A small group briskly heads to someone’s office and closes the door. Another group heads to the break room, where they’ll spend lunch breaking down the meeting in a hushed whisper. And then there’s the group who hurriedly grab their coats to head out for coffee or lunch, eager to get out of the building and pick apart what really happened—and what should have happened—in the hour you just spent together.
And then, there might be you. The person who had several thoughts and perspectives on the agenda items, but didn’t speak up—because you didn’t want to be the subject of the meetings after the meeting. It was too much of a risk, and so you, too, were nice.
Having been through plenty of meetings like this over the course of my professional career, they never get easier. A big part of that is because niceness doesn’t translate to safety, honesty, and accountability. As the same HBR article points out, niceness means a lack of intellectual bravery and innovation—which is ironic, because leaders often say this is what they want from their teams.
In short, being nice doesn’t actually help your company move forward. And, when we talk about what does, we get into conversations about great company cultures and engaged employees—but that doesn’t just happen, either.
What does help is when organizations work hard to create psychologically safe environments. But what does the term mean, and how do you take the steps to ensure your company fits the bill? Read on for my thoughts.
What psychological safety looks like
According to Gartner, psychological safety is an environment where individuals are recognized, rewarded, and encouraged for having contributions and ideas outside of the norm, challenging the status quo, and taking interpersonal risks.
Let’s break that down into an even simpler definition. Psychological safety is creating an environment where your employees:
Are able to be themselves in a professional capacity without the fear of negative consequences to their image, status, or career,
Feel like they can share their ideas and perspectives—even if they’re not 100% fully formed and might be less than stellar,
Know the things they say and do won’t be used against them,
Can make mistakes and not immediately feel like they’ll be fired or be put on a performance plan,
Won’t be afraid to ask for help when they need it, and
Can raise concerns and speak up when something doesn’t seem right without repercussions.
Psychological safety isn’t new — but it is misunderstood
Psychological safety isn’t a new concept. Plenty of business publications have been touting its importance for years. However, I have noticed that in my work, it does get misconstrued. There are a few reasons for this:
A lack of alignment. You might think you’re offering this kind of safety to your employees by encouraging them to “always speak up.” But if your actions are saying otherwise, it will be tough for your employees to believe you.
We think about it as the “goal.” The truth is, there’s no magic date and time when your organization will achieve psychological safety status. Even when you start to feel that your team is feeling more aligned and that there’s more collaboration and innovation, that doesn’t mean you’ve crossed the finish line. It means you keep going.
It gets mistaken as a “no-conflict zone.” Psychological safety doesn’t mean your team or organization avoids conflict—it means you’re able to have productive disagreements. Your team feels that it’s okay to disagree because when conflict happens, they feel confident in their differing viewpoints.
There’s an assumption that it’s just “present” in a healthy work environment. Think about your organization’s approach to psychological safety in the same way it considers harassment or a commitment to keeping workers injury-free. There are policies and procedures in place to keep those things from happening—and this is something you have to work at, too.
My 5 tips for creating a more psychologically safe environment
As a leader, there are several actions you can take to help create psychological safety. Here are a few of my favorites:
Practice true curiosity with your employees. Routinely ask your team members, regardless of their roles or titles, to weigh in on issues with their thoughts and expertise. When you ask questions, don’t be afraid to dig deep, asking why they feel the way they do instead of simply how they feel.
Make yourself available. Keep your metaphorical—and physical—door open. Schedule regular 1-on-1’s, and don’t cancel them. Inform your team of all the ways to get a hold of you, and remind them regularly. So many employees don’t want to “bother” their leaders. Make it clear from the beginning that they’re not a bother.
Make it okay to take risks. Of course, it’s important that a company be profitable—but profits can’t happen without invocation and creativity. And, those two things can’t happen without a bad idea or two. When employees feel psychologically safe, they take risks that help other employees generate new ideas and insights.
Ask for feedback. As I mentioned above, it’s one thing to think you’re giving your employees a psychologically safe environment, and it’s another thing to actually know. Asking them if they feel like they can truly speak up without risk, or if they feel supported on the team, will help you understand the environment you have.
Model the environment you hope to create
The most important part of creating a psychologically safe environment in your organization is modeling. If you model the behavior—using the actions above as a starting point—it will be easier for your employees to trust.
Psychological safety costs a company nothing, and the rewards are great. Today’s leaders have an awesome opportunity to demonstrate the behaviors that help their employees thrive—and in turn, create high-performing organizations.
Looking to up-level psychological safety at your organization? It could start with leveling up your own leadership development, and I can help. Head here to book a discovery call with me.
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