People love to talk about #1 PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY. It’s defined as a belief that it’s okay to speak up with ideas, questions, or concerns without fear of negative consequences. I love this concept. We need more of it in practice. It speaks to the contextual foundation for creativity and innovation. However, it’s in short supply in many workplaces. I think I […]
People love to talk about #1 PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY. It’s defined as a belief that it’s okay to speak up with ideas, questions, or concerns without fear of negative consequences. I love this concept. We need more of it in practice. It speaks to the contextual foundation for creativity and innovation. However, it’s in short supply in many workplaces. I think I know why.
We should be talking more about fear instead of safety. Yet we don’t because fear seems somehow taboo or unsavory. It’s easier to talk about safety. But we must talk about fear. We fear failure, job insecurity, looking dumb, being evaluated or criticized, change, retribution, harassment, and so on.
To establish enduring psychological safety, we must get to the root cause of most of these fears. Why do they exist? We experience these fears due to differences in personalities, bad bosses, uncertainty about job security, a lack of work-life balance, and other issues.
Common prescriptions for establishing #1 PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY include setting proper expectations, leaders modeling needed behaviors, spelling out norms for mistakes and failures, more listening, voice in decision-making, etc. These are all great ideas – that do not address the root cause of fear.
As diverse as the causes of fear might be, it’s clear there are two main paths forward if fear is our target.
The first is to focus on improving employee wellbeing and #1 PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY. This is about addressing the context and resources that shape the employees’ environment. This refers to initiatives around employee assistance programs, career development planning, encouraging proper breaks and downtime, exploring work flexibility, and expanding access to all things healthy (e.g., helpful apps, nutritious food, exercise spaces). It also means an unrelenting opposition to toxic behavior in all its forms.
The second involves how we hire, socialize, and develop leaders through #1 PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY. This is about improving how leaders interact with their employees. Historically, when we look for leaders we look for job competence. That part will always matter. In addition, we’re learning that an equally important component of leadership success is compassion.
Effectiveness is found where competence meets compassion. Functional/task/process/tech knowledge must be surrounded by empathy, kindness, and understanding – that’s compassion.
To be clear, fear can never be fully eradicated – but it can be considerably reduced. #1 PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY can be, on average, stronger than fear. That’s when innovation becomes a normal part of the culture.
TODD’S TIPS
Which is the best strategy for starting your workday? Go for a quick win with an easy task to gain momentum or work on one of your truly difficult but more substantive tasks? Answer: go for the big tasks! We all know that sometimes our brain works very well and other times it struggles. The best strategy is to start with the most substantive and strategically important work you face.
If you’re able to make progress – great! If not, time for a quick win. Grab one of those comparatively easier tasks and knock it out. Then refocus once again on something that truly matters. Some work moves us forward and some is just work that must be done. I say go big or go home.
WHAT’S UP WITH DR. D?
Speaking: Next stop – Fort Worth, Texas. I’m excited to speak live in-person this week to the senior sales leadership team at TTI, a major global distributor of electronic components. It’s a Show Your Ink keynote followed by thirty minutes of Q&A with me and fifty of their top leaders.
READ FULL ARTICLE ON LINKEDIN
Contact us at Speakers Inc and follow us on Twitter
THE TRUTH ABOUT #1 PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY belongs to these Categories
The pandemic may be easing up in many parts of the world, but its effects will forever shape how we live, work and shop so here are 3 Strategies to Reach Post-COVID Customers The past two years have brought unbelievable challenges and changes. Throughout the uncertainty, people have evaluated their priorities and lifestyles. A full 50% […]
Unleashing Inspiration: Ohio Top Motivational Speakers and the Power of Booking Them for Conferences Introduction: In the heartland of America lies a state brimming with innovation, resilience, and a spirit that refuses to be subdued – Ohio. As businesses, organizations, and communities across the state strive for excellence, the need for motivation and inspiration becomes […]
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 […]
Leaders…You Don’t Need To Have All The Answers for when Juli Shulem was in high school, there was a teacher that had a brilliant line when he was asked a question that he didn’t know the answer to in the moment. He would state: “That is beyond the scope of this course,” with a smile. […]
With all the recent fervor over the confrontation between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscars® over a comment made about Jada Pinkett Smith, there’s one character I have yet to Change Your Perspective, Improve Your Response to see explored in the aftermath: G.I. Jane. Several years ago, when I was building my business […]
In this article you will discover 7 emotional management techniques . A person with poor emotional management in the workplace, or even in personal life, can have consequences such as being fired or failing to maintain a stable relationship. At work, those who do not have an awareness of their emotions are often someone who has difficulty appreciating and being appreciated […]
Unveiling the Hottest Trends in Event Entertainment: Elevate Your Corporate Event with Speakers Inc In the ever-evolving landscape of event planning and entertainment, staying ahead of the curve is essential to delivering memorable and impactful experiences for attendees. From corporate conferences to gala dinners, the demand for innovative and engaging entertainment options continues to grow. […]
Our Mission
© All rights reserved 2024. Speakers Inc
Cookie | Duration | Description |
---|---|---|
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional | 11 months | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". |
viewed_cookie_policy | 11 months | The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. |