Psychological safety undoubtedly plays a crucial role in cultivating and nurturing a healthy and productive workplace environment. In an organisational setting, psychological safety refers to the perception of an environment where individuals feel comfortable expressing their ideas, concerns, and opinions without fear of negative consequences.
At ibex gale we see psychological safety as a fundamental pillar when cultivating a healthy organisational culture, a culture that research has proven time and time again that contributes to overall organisational success and profitability through the following:
Promoting Innovation and Creativity: When individuals feel psychologically safe, they are more likely to take risks, share ideas, and think creatively without fear of ridicule. This helps enable an environment where innovation can thrive, as individuals feel empowered and inspired to explore new ideas, approaches and solutions.
Improves Decision-Making and Problem-Solving: In psychologically safe environments, individuals are more likely to contribute diverse and creative perspectives and engage in constructive debate when making decisions or solving problems. This can result in more informed and effective decision-making processes.
Enhancing Teamwork and Collaboration: Higher levels of perceived psychological safety encourages open communication and helps contribute to the level of trust felt within a team. When individuals feel safe to express their opinions, ask questions, and provide feedback without the fear of negative consequences, it strengthens team dynamics and encourages collaboration.
Increases Employee Engagement: A psychologically safe workplace nurtures a sense of belonging and inclusivity, which are essential for employee engagement. When employees feel valued, respected, and supported, they are more likely to be motivated, productive, and committed to their work and organisation.
Supports Diversity and Inclusion Efforts: Psychological safety is essential for creating an inclusive workplace where individuals from diverse backgrounds feel welcome and respected. When employees feel psychologically safe, they are more likely to speak up about instances of bias or discrimination, leading to a more equitable and inclusive work environment.
Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson is widely recognised for her work and ground-breaking research on psychological safety which has had a significant impact on our understanding of leadership, organisational behaviour, and team dynamics. In her book ‘The Fearless Organization’, she shares a questionnaire to help measure psychological safety in the workplace.
ibex gale is a certified provider of the ‘Fearless Organization Scan’ which has been designed to help teams understand psychological safety in the specific context of their team. For teams that have used the ‘Fearless Organization Scan’, the anonymous results and facilitated conversation have allowed them to safely discuss individual perspectives. The results of this have been that the team have had braver and more impactful conversations to agree meaningful objectives. Action taken against objectives have resulted in positive impact on the individual and group experience in the team, benefitting individual team members as well as the wider organisational culture.
If you think your team would benefit from talking about psychological safety as part of efforts to problem solve or innovate, please get in touch to find out more.
Author: Natasha Weibel, Organisational Culture Specialist
