4 Ways to Create Psychological Safety at Work

By show of hands, how many of you here feel safe that you can tell your boss that you just messed up? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Bueller?

Oh, no one? Okay. I thought so. Well, welcome to the world of psychological safety. Or as some call it, the elusive unicorn in the workplace.

I think I just saw one.

No, no, you didn't. Now, I can't help you spot an actual unicorn, but I can help you create a workplace where your team feels safe, valued, and ready to take on the world. Or at least the next big project. And in this video, I'm diving into why psychological safety matters. And I'm gonna give you some shocking stats about the current state of the workplace. And I'm also give you four ways that leaders can build a fortress of psychological safety for their teams. Let's get into. Did you know that teams with wise psychological safety see a whopping 27% increase in productivity and a 76% higher engagement rate? That's right, folks. When people feel safe to speak up, make mistakes and be themselves at work, literally, magic happens. Well, not actually magic. More like happier employees and a better business result. Some might call that magic though. But here's the reality check. 53% of workers are unhappy at work. 58% of employees trust a stranger more than their own manager. And a jaw dropping 76% of employees go home every day feeling like they work for an organization that doesn't care for them. Oh, and let's not forget, 79% of employees who quit cite a lack of appreciation at work. So basically, it's looking worse than the faces of my family after they ate my attempt at grandma's chicken casserole last Thanksgiving. I'll never be as good, Grandma. I'll never be as good. So how do we turn this sinking ship around? Well, here are the four ways leaders can create psychological safety in the workplace. Starting with the first one, which is creating a positive team culture. A positive team culture is the bedrock for psychological safety. It's about fostering an environment where every team member feels valued, respected and heard. Imagine if every meeting felt like a group hug. Well, minus the awkwardness of actually hugging during all your meetings. Hr HR to make this happen, encourage open communication and celebrate the diversity of thought. Create spaces for regular team check ins where everyone can voice their ideas, concerns and feedback. Make it a point to recognize and celebrate each team member's unique contributions to the overall growth of the team, community or organization. Tom, every day I see you in here wearing your sunglasses. Corey Hart would be proud.

Oh, thank you so much.

This Number two is the trust between managers and employees. This trust is crucial. If your team trusts you as far as they can throw you, then we've got a problem. Unless Ryan Kruser works for you. That's a little Olympic joke. Strong relationships are built on trust, transparency and mutual respect. So to make this happen, managers get to know your team members beyond just their job titles. Regular one on one meetings are your best friend. Listen, actively, show you generally are interested in their development and provide consistent, constructive feedback. Be approachable and let your team know that you've got their back. The third way is to invest in leadership skills and development. Great leaders are not born, they are made. Despite what your mom has told you, investing in leadership skills of your team members not only prepares them for future roles, but also it fosters this environment of continuous growth and continuous improvement. And so to make this happen, offer leadership training programs, workshop and even mentorship opportunities for your team. Encourage your team to take ownership of their own personal and professional development. Give them a minor budget that they can then go and use on professional development. When employees see that you're invested in their growth, they're more likely to invest in the success of the team. Number four, Support employees in failing forward. The fear of failure is a massive barrier to psychological safety. If your team is too scared to make mistakes, they'll never take the risk needed for innovation and growth. So you want to embrace this concept of failing forward. And so to make this happen, create a culture where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities. When something goes wrong, focus on what can be learned from it. And then instead of just placing the blame on everyone, it's your fault.

It's not my fault. It's not my fault.

Share stories of past failures and lessons you've learned from them. Encourage experimentation and celebrate the effort, not just the outcome. Some teams even have a failure award that they give to the person who tried to take on something and failed miserably at it. But they attempted it. They get celebrated for attempting to try for it. And so there you have it. Creating psychological safety isn't about wrapping your team in a bubble.

Oh, I feel so safe in here.

It's about building an environment where they empowered to speak up, take risk and grow together. A psychologically safe workplace isn't just a nice to have, it is a must have for a thriving, productive and engaged team. So go ahead, take these steps and watch your team transform from cautious caterpillars to bold butterflies. And if you like this video, I highly recommend you hit that subscribe button and follow all of our videos because we're constantly giving you leaders ways in which you can better engage your people. So, speaking of which, my name is Tom. I'm here to help you to engage the people on your dance floor. I'll see you in the next video.

I'm a butterfly. I'm a butterfly.