High-Performing Teams Need Psychological Safety: Here’s How to Create It
Harvard Business Review was raising awareness on the topic of psychological safety back in 2017. Now more than ever we recognise its criticality for fully functioning teams in the workplace.
The University of North Carolina found that positive emotions like trust, curiosity, confidence, and inspiration broaden the mind and help us build psychological, social, and physical resources. We become more openminded, resilient, motivated, and persistent when we feel safe. Humour increases, as does solution finding and divergent thinking — the cognitive process underlying creativity.
The six steps to follow, to induce psychological safety in your team are:
1. Approach conflict as a collaborator, not an adversary – true success is a win-win outcome
2. Speak human to human – reflect and remember each member of the team is “Just Like Me” – a person
3. Anticipate reactions and plan countermoves – be thoughtful and strategic
4. Replace blame with curiosity – observe, explore and solve, together.
5. Ask for feedback on delivery – especially in tough scenarios
6. Measure psychological safety – Talk and communicate