Employees put in a lot of hard work to take the company to new heights, and these efforts deserve appreciation and rewards, but most importantly, they need a safe working atmosphere.
Every individual has unique ideas, but they fail to share it with people due to fear of rejection. Several offices have a toxic working environment where employees are not treated equally. It makes employees feel less secure and hesitant to share their opinions.
Not only do people feel unsafe working in such places, but their mental health and personal relations are equally affected. Thus, providing a safe and supportive atmosphere is crucial.
Here is a short guide to help you understand psychological safety and its connection to organizational success.
What is Psychological Safety?
Psychological safety means feeling comfortable working in a specific environment without fearing job loss. If an employee feels safe sharing their opinions without the fear of punishment or rejection, then the place is considered to promote psychological safety.
In the current era, it has become essential for every organization to promote psychological safety because it influences an organization’s success.
Some companies feel that giving out an Employee of the Year award plaque or hosting a few events is more than enough, but that’s a misconception. You must ensure your employees are not targeted by their peers and seniors.
When employees are under constant pressure or fear interpersonal conflicts, they might not be able to express themselves or point out potential problems. Therefore, management and leadership must focus on creating a psychologically safe workspace.
Why Offering Psychological Safety is Crucial?
For some people, psychological safety might not mean a lot, but when it comes to workspaces, this term has substantial value. The biggest reason why every workplace must offer psychological safety is because:
· It helps People Stand Up and Express Themselves
Offices that promote the concept of psychological safety don’t only have employees with the right skills, but these people know when to stand against injustices.
Such people raise concerns and speak up even against the biased behavior of their seniors because they know they won’t be punished for it.
· Encourages Creativity and Enhances Performance
Offices that fail to build a psychologically safe space, never witness employee creativity. No one wishes to think out of the box due to fear of being ridiculed or ignored. Eventually, it results in average work performance and poor company growth.
For individuals to bring out their full potential, they need a supportive workplace, and it is only possible when a place promotes psychological safety.
· Increases the Retention Rate
Running an office space without psychological safety is simply impossible. Since employees fear expressing their viewpoints, they don’t feel attached to the place and try to find better opportunities.
In such circumstances, the retention rate drops, and management has to spend extra effort and money on finding new talent. On the other hand, offices that have a supportive culture don’t bear additional recruitment costs. Their employees are more confident and hardly try to look for better opportunities.
How to Achieve Psychological Safety within an Organization?
With awareness regarding psychological safety and its importance, it’s time to understand how to implement it within an organization.
· Make it an Underlying Principle
The first step in creating a safe working atmosphere is to make psychological safety a core principle for your business. To do so, one must first train employees to respect each other’s opinions. The more encouragement you offer to individual workers, the safer they feel.
From your company policies to your actions, everything must align with the concept of psychological safety.
· Measure the Existing Level of Safety in your Departments
To implement the concept, you will first need to measure the existing level of psychological safety in your firm, which is possible through surveys.
Ask people whether their team leads are open to taking new ideas, if individuals feel scared of making even minor mistakes, and how safe they feel sharing their thoughts. Through these confidential surveys, you can find out if people feel unsafe in your organization and why.
· Encourage Healthy Communication Between People
Another way to promote psychological safety is by promoting dialogue among individuals. Of course, you don’t have to force people to speak with one another. Instead, create opportunities for cross-department collaborations for enhanced communication.
· Handle Failures and Successes in Similar Manner
Celebrating success is a common phenomenon, but what’s important is how a firm handles its failures. An important part of building psychological safety is wisely handling all kinds of failures.
For example, if a department fails to achieve its quarterly goals, try to encourage them to do better instead of punishing them for their performance. In such a manner, you develop a belief amongst individuals that failures won’t always lead to punishments, making them feel safe.
· Focus on Resolving Internal Conflicts
Offices with too many internal conflicts or unnecessary politics are labeled toxic, and no one wishes to work in such places. Being responsible for your organization, you must resolve these conflicts.
Whether it’s a conflict between departments or two individuals, ensure these conflicts are resolved through proper dialogue.
· Provide Safety in Virtual Workplaces
While promoting psychological safety within your office, don’t ignore virtual workplaces. Often, remote employees feel detached from their company, and focusing on these individuals is essential.
Try scheduling one-on-one meetings with remote employees to take their feedback and help them feel more connected to their work. If possible, have informal discussions with remote employees to make them feel safe and secure.
Conclusion
It’s necessary to know that psychological safety is as important as physical safety for employees. When businesses offer a supportive and safe working environment, individuals feel more comfortable and are not afraid to work on new ideas.
Eventually, the safer the employees feel, the more success the company experiences. The process might feel overwhelming at the start, but gradually, you will witness a visible growth in your employee’s performance.
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