Digital Confluence’s Post

Team psychological safety is crucial for effective teamwork. It allows team members to take risks, share their ideas, voice their concerns, ask questions, and admit mistakes without fear of negative consequences. If you're interested in learning more about how to create a psychologically safe environment for your team, check out this insightful article from Harvard Business Review. #HBR #learning #Psychologicalsafety #Teamwork #HRarticles #HR https://lnkd.in/g3NqHnmS

I recently came across this insightful article from Harvard Business Review on psychological safety: https://lnkd.in/gd3DSnSC Psychological safety is a critical component of a healthy workplace, yet it's often overlooked. My personal journey has shown me the stark difference it makes. In previous roles, the absence of psychological safety created an environment where speaking up was met with resistance, leading to significant stress and PTSD. The lack of support made it challenging to share ideas, raise concerns, or even contribute fully. Interestingly, I didn't fully understand what psychological safety was until I joined an organization where it truly mattered. As the article highlights, psychological safety is about creating a culture where employees feel safe to take risks and voice their opinions without fear of retribution. In my current role, this principle is deeply embedded in the organizational culture. Here, I feel heard, listened to, and respected. This supportive environment has transformed my professional experience, allowing me to contribute confidently and authentically. As the article explains, when team members feel psychologically safe, it leads to better problem-solving, increased creativity, and a stronger sense of community. My experience aligns perfectly with these findings. The ability to "see something, say something" without fear of negative repercussions has been empowering and beneficial for both my well-being and my work performance. Organizations that foster psychological safety not only enhance employee well-being but also drive innovation and productivity. I urge leaders and organizations to recognize the importance of psychological safety and to actively cultivate it within their teams. The benefits extend beyond individual well-being to create a thriving, dynamic workplace culture. #PsychologicalSafety #WorkplaceCulture #EmployeeWellbeing #Leadership #OrganizationalDevelopment #Innovation #Teamwork #MentalHealth

Psychological Safety has become a more common topic in recent years. However, it remains an important attribute to Team effectiveness and performance and one that is hard to achieve. If your interested in the topic, this is a good read and points you in directions for additional quality source material. Happy Sunday reading. https://lnkd.in/g5JVyGks

Psychological safety. What is it and why is it important? According to dictionary.com, psychological safety is the "belief that you won't be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes. At work, it's a shared expectation held by members of a team that teammates will not embarrass, reject, or punish them for sharing ideas, taking risks, or soliciting feedback." I especially like this definition offered by Amy Edmondson in HBR "...permission for candor." (https://lnkd.in/egS9ZMJb) Fostering psychologically safe work environments is an important skill for leaders. But you may be wondering, how do you foster such an environment? 1. Ask for thoughts / feedback and listen! Nothing is worse than for someone to share their thoughts/ideas and for those ideas to not be heard or validated. Even if the idea cannot be implemented, acknowledgment goes a long way. 2. If you say you have an open door policy - truly mean it! If your team comes to you with concerns but you are never available or too busy at the moment, that could foster a feeling of isolation and despair, which leads to poor morale and lower productivity. Have your door, literal or proverbial, open as often as possible. 3. Check in regularly with your team. Asking your team members on a regular basis how they are doing with their projects and confirming they have what they need to succeed is critical to the success of any team. These are just a few tips but there are many out there to help leaders navigate this delicate topic. Cultivating an atmosphere where team members feel comfortable expressing ideas and concerns without fear cannot be built overnight but it can be built with one conversation at a time. What are some tips you've heard recently or that you have found to be effective when discussing psychological safety? 🗣 below.

https://lnkd.in/eZcSPXn5 How did you feel going back to work today after the Bank Holiday? Maybe you had a healthy amount of reluctance even if you quite like your job and the people you work with. Perhaps, however, you felt a real knot in your stomach at the thought of going into work ( I know I used to feel this in my old career) - your gut feeling may be an indicator that your workplace isn't one of psychologically safety - i.e you can't be free to be yourself or make mistakes without high levels of criticism. This HBR article gives a really good definition of psychological safety or 'felt permission for candour' in short. I think psychological safety is like empathy - Someone can't tell you they are being empathic it has to be FELT by the other person. In the same way, a business can't really promote themselves as psychologically safe - it has to be felt by the people in it, plus, as the article says, it's not just a series of tick boxes or a set formula ( although there are criteria that can be met) -it's more nuanced than that, there is a kind of essence to it. If you're unsure about your own work culture - I urge you to answer the 7 questions as honestly and fairly as you can. A next step might be to think about what you'd propose to the organisation if you could to make it feel more psychologically safe. Then start having some conversations with your line manager or HR. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

Do you & your team feel safe at work? Safe to express emotion & to challenge? Not sure? -Take the test below. What is psychological safety? Team psychological safety is a shared belief that it’s OK to take risks, express their ideas & worries, to speak up & admit mistakes without fear of negative consequences. As Amy Edmondson puts it, “it’s felt permission for candor.” Test yourself if you are not sure:- ❓ On this team, I understand what is expected of me. ❓ I feel my ideas are valued & safe in suggesting them. ❓ If I make a mistake on this team, it is never held against me. ❓ When something goes wrong, we work together to find the causes. ❓ I can bring up problems and concerns. ❓ My team never reject others for being different & nobody is left out. ❓ It is safe for me to take an intelligent risk. ❓ It is easy for me to ask team members for help. ❓ My team would not deliberately act in a way that undermines my efforts. ❓ My unique skills and talents are valued and utilised on my team. Today, I am working with the team at Charlotte Wiseman to help a big team going through some big changes. I will be giving them some tips of how they can build psychological safety in their teams. #psychologicalsafety #wellbeinginwork

Here is a great article from the HBR diving into the importance of mental safety in the workplace. Mental safety creates an environment where people feels secure, respected and supported. As a direct consequence, it boosts performance, fosters growth, enhances well-being and drives diversity and inclusion. In a nutshell: it makes both people and companies happy ! #mentalsafety https://lnkd.in/g9aapkM4

Just came across this insightful article that resonates with the communication challenges we all face, both at work and in our daily lives. Highly recommend giving it a read! Title: what is psychological safety! Article Link: https://lnkd.in/ehrmb9aC #CommunicationSkills #ProfessionalGrowth #OfficeLife #SoftSkills #EffectiveCommunication

Thriving teams need psychological safety. It's the belief that it's okay to take risks, share ideas, and admit mistakes without fear of retribution. Amy Edmondson's research underscores its impact on engagement, innovation, and decision-making. Let's foster environments where every voice matters and every individual thrives. #PsychologicalSafety #TeamSuccess

Psychological Safety is the most important trait for long-term success in your teams. But what is it? 🤔 💡 “Team psychological safety is a shared belief held by members of a team that it’s OK to take risks, to express their ideas and concerns, to speak up with questions, and to admit mistakes — all without fear of negative consequences.” 💡 Teams without psychological safety are: ❌ less creative ❌ less productive ❌ less collaborative ❌ less engaged ❌ more likely to have members quit All of which have a profoundly negative impact on your company. Are you prioritizing psychological safety? https://lnkd.in/eEXYwD8u