How do you foster a culture of psychological safety in your meetings?

In addition to this it may make sense to have various segments of the meeting actually being owned by the core team member for a particular function. Setting up 1-on-1 meetings prior to say a core team meeting allows for discussion and alignment on content and format for each segment. This helps build ownership within the core team and helps the PM focus on the big picture items such as project/program strategic direction and risk management aspects rather than details that the functional representative can drive with his/her team.

It's important also that the spirit of tolerance to all opinions does not permit intolerance. We see this in politics, but divisive or hurtful commentary can't hide behind the veil of inclusion.

Neurodiversity was historically overlooked until recently. Each neurotype (e.g. ADHD, Dyslexia, Autism, etc.) contributes valuable insights to the organization's collective ingenuity. Raising awareness through workshops and training, and offering support with flexible work arrangements, are strategies to celebrate these differences in the workplace. Embracing neurodiversity promotes inclusion and maximizes the potential of a diverse workforce, fostering creativity and enhancing problem-solving through unique cognitive approaches.

I often personally step out of the safe zone and ask questions that either I have or that I sense are hanging in the air but no one want to ask them. It can be as simple as "I have an uninformed/trivial/dumb question...." Countless times have I after a meeting received feedback where people have expressed gratitude for "breaking the ice". Often this have lead to other team members asking their questions and while there are no dumb questions it is sometimes necessary to ask one or a few trivial questions to get a team discussion started.

Key here is to carefully listen to and understand each party involved in the conflict. As a mediator it is crucial to build trust and understanding with all involved. Meeting in person or at least in private with each party is essential prior to setting up any sort of conflict resolution meeting. One can draw a lot valuable parallels with how a root cause analysis is conducted. I like to first, define the problem, gather the data, analyze the data from all useful angles, identify causal factors, determine the root cause(s) and finally recommend a solution(s) and meet with the involved parties, share your findings and agree on how to implement a solution. The last step may be the hardest because it may require compromise(s) to be accepted.

It is important to remember that you’re working with peers. Everyone plays a role. Imagine that you are sitting at a round table and everyone has equal footing to accomplish the goal. As a Project Manager, I focus on tasks, timeline, budget, planning, and organization. This affects all stakeholders. I keep my team in forward motion to resolve problems. Focusing on the solution and leaving aside the problems plays a big role in any meeting and the psychology at play. It also leads to productive meetings.

Create a culture of truth telling. This is difficult because we are cooperative and cordial social creatures. Truth telling can be awkward and uncomfortable. Address that and ensure everyone knows that is okay. Set up a culture where the most junior person can overrule the most senior person if they have the data to back it up. Understand the pyschology of the most senior person in a meeting speaking first, vs. last. If the most senior person in the room speaks last, they can hear everyone's opinion in an unfiltered way.