How to create Psychological Safety
- Author: Ryan Jenkins
- Word Count: 365
Read the news article
Here are six ways to create psychological safety to re-engage and reassure today’s anxious, disengaged and lonely workforce.
Teams can be lonely places. People can feel vulnerable and exposed if they believe their teammates don’t support their ideas or appreciate their work. These interpersonal struggles intensify for remote workers who lack the support of a nodding ally across the table.
Amid the increased importance of workplace equality and allyship and the growing loneliness and isolation among virtual teams, it’s never been more critical that leaders create psychological safety among their teams.
Workers who feel that they can freely raise concerns, questions and ideas without repercussion are benefiting from psychological safety. Psychological safety pays off in increased creativity, trust and productivity among a team and is the single most important quality that determines a team’s success.
Here are six ways leaders can create psychological safety for their teams.
Psychological Safety
1. Listen to understand
Active listening is a hallmark trait of psychological safety. Too often leaders selectively listen for information that reinforces their view or strengthens their argument.
2. Speak last
When leaders share their thoughts about a topic and then ask for the team’s opinion, it’s too late.
3. Identify blind spots together
When leaders invite others into helping identify blind spots, it’s an admission to not having all the answers.
4. Productively address problems
Instead of blaming or expressing frustration when a team member brings up a problem, instead be appreciative of their insight and dedication to solving the problem.
5. Connect contributions to value
Humans have an innate desire for their contributions to be valued by the community. For centuries humans have found safety in numbers.
6. Switch video on and off
Seeing people’s faces during a video call can create engagement and provide helpful visual cues and non-verbal agreement.
Article written by Ryan Jenkins a Millennial generational speaker
However, it’s challenging for leaders to create psychological safety, because by virtue of their role they have power, and power is a barrier to psychological safety. In order to counterbalance the weight of their powerful role, leaders have to go out of their way to intentionally and strategically build psychological safety.
Speaker Listing
Further articles you may enjoy:
- (7)
Choosing a professional speaker is a choice we assist you with. To take the head ache out of your planning and organisation to ensure your event runs smoothly and professionally 1. Decide on the Theme It’s no use looking for a wildlife speaker, if your theme is Future Global Trends. If you’re not sure whether […]
- January 2, 2023
- (9)
Leadership Hack: How Sticky Notes Can Help Your Career Sticky notes have been my savior. And I don’t mean in a “don’t forget the milk” kind of way. True, sticky notes are great for grocery lists, but what I’m talking about here is how a few small squares helped me become a better leader, and […]
- December 19, 2022
- (40)
Imagine sitting down for six hours of back-to-back college final exams for nine days in a row with Mental strategies. That’s what playing in a professional chess tournament is like, according to chess grandmaster Maurice Ashley. The only difference is in chess, “the finals fight back,” Ashley tells CNBC Make It. And no matter how […]
- December 15, 2023
- (62)
Welcome to the Dunder Mifflin Leadership Wisdom, where we draw inspiration from the legendary antics of The Office’s Michael Scott, Jim Halpert, and even Dwight Schrute. While the show may be known for its hilarious mishaps and quirky characters, there’s an underlying theme that every leader can learn from: the importance of motivating your staff. […]
- September 20, 2023
- (3)
Something about the past seems much more romantic than the future so Are you more attracted to the PAST or the FUTURE?. Maybe it’s because the past is a time we can look back on with nostalgia, or perhaps it’s because the future is an unknown quantity. Whatever the reason, it seems like many people […]
- December 22, 2022
- (75)
The Psychology of Attendee Behavior: What Drives Engagement? In the ever-evolving world of event planning, one question remains at the core of success: What truly drives attendee engagement? Understanding what keeps people interested, active, and returning to events is both an art and a science. By leveraging The Psychology of Attendee Behavior science principles, event […]
- February 19, 2025
- (29)
Motivational North American Keynote Speakers play a crucial role in inspiring individuals, organizations, and communities to unlock their full potential. With their compelling stories, expertise, and dynamic presentation styles, these speakers captivate audiences, leaving a lasting impact. In North America, there is a remarkable pool of motivational keynote speakers who have successfully transformed lives and […]
- June 4, 2023
- (5)
A few months ago, the National Safety Council had me as the closing keynote speaker on the acceleration of risk for their massive annual conference – and I spoke to a few thousand safety professionals on issues surrounding new, emerging. Including a story of what happened when Rosie the Robot from the Jetsons went rogue! […]
- January 10, 2023
