Creating a Psychologically Safe Workplace: Strategies for Success

What is psychological safety?

Psychological safety is the shared belief that you can speak up, take risks, and be vulnerable without fear of embarrassment or punishment. It's the foundation of a workplace where employees feel accepted, respected, and free to be themselves.

When employees feel psychologically safe, they're more likely to:

• Share their ideas and opinions
• Ask questions and seek feedback
• Admit mistakes and learn from them
• Take risks and innovate

According to Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson, who coined the term, psychological safety is "a sense of confidence that the team will not embarrass, reject or punish someone for speaking up". This confidence is crucial for fostering open communication, creativity, and innovation in the workplace.

Google's Project Aristotle, a study of 180 teams over three years, found that psychological safety was the most important factor in team effectiveness. Teams with high levels of psychological safety performed better, were more innovative and had higher employee engagement and job satisfaction.

The benefits of a psychologically safe workplace

So how can you tell if your workplace is psychologically safe? Start by asking yourself these questions:

• Do employees feel comfortable speaking up and sharing ideas, even if they differ from the majority opinion?
• Are mistakes seen as learning opportunities, or are they punished?
• Do employees trust each other and feel respected by their colleagues?
• Is there a culture of open communication and feedback?

If you answered no to any of these questions, it may be time to take a closer look at your workplace culture and identify areas for improvement.

You can also assess psychological safety through anonymous surveys, employee observations, and regular check-ins with team members. These methods can help you gauge the level of psychological safety in your workplace and identify any issues that need to be addressed.

Creating psychological safety at work

Creating a psychologically safe workplace takes commitment from everyone, especially leaders. Here are some key strategies for building psychological safety in your team:

1. Address all safety concerns immediately

Psychological safety starts with physical safety. This means assessing the inherent risks in your organisation that could influence the mental health of your employees. Some organisations have challenging risk profiles that include interfacing with the public, isolation, night shifts, difficult or stressful tasks, and handling dangerous goods or heavy machinery. To increase safety in the workplace:

• Assess incident reports to improve security and emergency protocols
• Listen to the needs and concerns of workers
• Address any instances of bias, discrimination, or harassment immediately

2. Transform your company culture

• Avoid perfectionism: This may sound counterintuitive, but research shows perfectionists are more distrusting, overreact to mistakes, and micromanage others
• Celebrate individual and team successes
• Provide support and resources for team members to do their best work
• Address conflicts and issues in a timely and trauma-informed way
• Use pulse surveys to assess your company culture

3. Encourage risk-taking and learning

Innovation and growth require taking risks and learning from failures. To encourage risk-taking and learning in your team, you should:

• Frame failures as learning opportunities and encourage team members to share their lessons learned
• Provide opportunities for professional development and skill-building
• Celebrate successes and milestones, no matter how small

4. Foster open communication and feedback

Open communication and feedback are essential for building psychological safety. You should:

• Encourage team members to voice their opinions and contribute ideas, even if they challenge the prevailing viewpoint
• Provide regular opportunities for feedback, both positive and constructive
• Implement whistleblowing tools and anonymous surveys to understand your employees

5. Prioritise inclusion and diversity

To prioritise inclusion and diversity in your team, you should:

• Create a welcoming and inclusive environment for people from all backgrounds
• Provide equal opportunities for growth and advancement
• Encourage team members to share their unique perspectives and experiences

6. Support mental health in the workplace

To support mental health in your workplace, you can:

• Offer mental health support and resources, such as counselling services through employee assistance programs and days off for mental health and well-being
• Encourage open communication about mental health and reduce the stigma around seeking help
• Create a culture of self-care and work-life balance
• Provide training for managers on how to support team members' mental health

By prioritising mental health in your workplace, you can create a more supportive and psychologically safe environment for all employees.

The role of anonymous reporting and whistleblowing tools in the workplace

Anonymous reporting and whistleblowing tools play a crucial role in creating a psychologically safe workplace. These tools empower employees to speak up about workplace issues like discrimination, harassment, bullying, and fraud without fear of retaliation.

One of the main advantages of anonymous reporting is that it allows employees to raise concerns confidentially. This is particularly important for sensitive issues that employees may be hesitant to report through formal channels. By providing a safe and secure way to report misconduct, anonymous reporting tools can help organisations identify and address problems before they escalate into more serious issues.

Anonymous reporting and whistleblowing tools can provide valuable insights into the overall health and well-being of an organisation. By analysing the types of reports received and identifying patterns or trends, organisations can proactively address issues related to workplace culture, employee engagement, and psychological safety. This data-driven approach can help organisations make informed decisions and prioritise initiatives that promote a positive and supportive work environment.

Regulations on psychosocial health in New Zealand

In New Zealand, the management of psychosocial health in the workplace is a key focus of WorkSafe New Zealand, as outlined in their April 2019 report, "Psychosocial hazards in work environments and effective approaches for managing them." This report underscores the importance of defining, identifying, and addressing psychosocial health risks to reduce harm to New Zealand's workers.

Psychosocial hazards are identified as aspects of work design, job demands, and workplace interactions that can negatively affect employees' mental health, emotional well-being, and overall psychological functioning. These hazards can lead to stress and diminish an individual's capacity to cope, potentially resulting in both psychological and physical harm.

WorkSafe New Zealand's research highlights various psychosocial stressors prevalent in the workplace, including factors related to job characteristics, the nature of work, and the social and organisational context. These stressors can interact with individual risk factors to impact worker mental health.

WorkSafe New Zealand's guidance emphasises the need for employers to take steps to create a psychologically healthy and safe work environment. This involves understanding and addressing the various psychosocial hazards present in their specific workplaces.

To ensure a psychologically safe environment, New Zealand employers are expected to implement effective approaches for managing psychosocial hazards. WorkSafe's research aims to inform action, indicator development, and risk management strategies in this area. By focusing on these proactive measures, New Zealand workplaces can work towards reducing psychosocial harm and promoting the well-being of their employees.