Have you ever attended an office meeting where you were the sole participant in a specific social group, either marginalized or otherwise?
If yes, did you possess an opinion or a thought to share but choose to keep it private because you were afraid or felt that you were required the right to “hide” yourself?
Perhaps you believed that all others would immediately dismiss or critique the idea. Maybe you feared that sharing your thoughts could result in retribution or even exclusion later. But unfortunately, a lot of individuals have been through this. And it’s a pity–not just for the affected person but the business.
The problem at hand, in this case, is known as “psychological safety,” and it’s something that employers are discovering to be an essential factor in boosting morale and productivity and the ability to innovate. So here are some ideas for leaders who can help create a psychologically safe workplace. Moreover, Psychology translation services provide translated content to organizations around the world who want to adopt these strategies.
Get The Temperature
The concept of “psychological safety” was coined by Dr. Amy C. Edmondson of the Harvard Business School. On her organization’s website, Dr. Edmondson defines “psychological safety” as “a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes, and that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.“
The last couple of words in the description are essential. Being able to speak freely or discuss other topics isn’t just about having permission to do so. The key is to work in an environment where it is possible to take risks and make mistakes without fear of “losing points” on a performance assessment or getting a reprimand.
With that in mind, the first thing that leaders should do to increase psychological security is “take the temperature” of their teams or organizations. That is, examine how secure or uneasy your employees are. This is challenging! It’s natural for your employees to speak freely, But are they?
There’s only one method of finding out to ask. Start one-on-one with your managers and openly discuss the current state of the teams. Do you see a lot of participation at meetings? Do some employees have a dominant role in discussions, whereas others cannot participate? Are idea sharing and feedback encouraged regularly?
Dr. Edmondson recommends that organizations conduct psychological safety assessments to gather various information points and decide the improvement needed. Often firms take aid from medical regulatory documents translation services so that they can translate documents into multiple languages.
The ultimate goal of this activity is to make a list of assertions like “If you make a mistake, it’s held against you” and “It’s safe to take risks on this team.” Then, ask how much the participant is in the agreement or disagrees with.
Host A Party
When you have a clear idea of how secure it is in your work environment, it is possible to adopt specific steps to improve the atmosphere where your employees work. They will be based on your particular needs but may include the following:
Discussions about the topic are open to “break the ice,”
- Training or upskilling leaders or supervisors and
- Communicating with employees who have issues to explain expectations or offer instruction and, when appropriate, placing them on a plan for performance improvement to reduce harmful behaviors.
Most of the time, however, promoting psychological security is similar to throwing a party. This means that there are three aspects you should take into consideration:
1. Select And Convey The Topic
This isn’t a “Let’s all get together and hang out aimlessly” gathering. It’s an event with a theme. It doesn’t matter if it’s for your workplace or a specific event. You, as the leader, must establish clear goals and guidelines for the participants so that everyone is working towards the same purpose.
If, for instance, you’re focused on innovation, make it clear upfront. You should identify the types of innovative ideas you’re seeking and ensure employees know there is no idea too big or small. Make it clear and reiterate it repeatedly: Every employee contributes to the company’s success and future. Legality and compliance are a big part of any organization. Therefore, try to implement compliance training in your workplace. Aid from compliance translation services will be beneficial.
2. Invite Everyone To The Party
Similar to an event, you should send invites to everyone. It may sound odd because you’re essentially saying that you “invited” every employee simply by hiring them. However, certain personality types require regular encouragement to share their thoughts and talk about their feelings and experiences.
Many employees experience an absence of security at work. This can be due to negative aspects of culture within the organization or personal problems they have to deal with (or either). Participation requires time and practice. The more they’re pushed and invited to participate in gatherings or other discussion types, their confidence will increase. Make sure that when they share their thoughts and information, they are rewarded for their efforts. Try to regulate this practice so that even after you, the next generation of managers implement these practices during their tenure. If you are unaware of how to regulate it, Regulatory Translation agencies can help you with proper documentation.
3. Make Yourself A Welcoming Host
Whatever you do as the host for a celebration is something you need to be a leader, trying to increase the safety of your employees’ psychological well-being. Establish the tone through your actions and manner of conduct. Invite everyone to meetings and other discussions. Make sure to identify the participants as often as is feasible.
The saying goes that “Accentuate the positive.” It’s a good idea to accentuate the positive. For instance, suppose someone proposes a radical idea during a discussion that instantly attracts skepticism and opposition. You can identify some positive aspects of the concept, even when saying, “Although that specifically won’t work, it does help us narrow our focus.”
And just like every excellent host, you notice anyone attempting to disrupt the process in an unintentional or, more importantly, destructive manner immediately; you must pull the individual off and take the necessary steps to neutralize the situation.
Wrapping Up
Most importantly, the most critical aspect of a psychologically safe workplace is the demonization of failure. As the leader, make it your mission to let employees realize and believe that failing is acceptable when they see the mistakes they make as learning opportunities and continue to push forward with courage and determination to find the next brilliant idea.
