Multiple research studies have confirmed psychologically safe workplaces are great for both individual and organizational well-being, but what exactly is a psychologically safe workplace? One of the misconceptions about psychological safety is that it means not ever feeling uncomfortable or experiencing challenging situations. In fact, in psychologically safe workplaces, engaging in challenges and working through uncomfortable situations in a supportive way are the norm.
Psychological safety in the workplace is rooted in basic assumptions about optimal well-being for humans. These assumptions include the idea that people enjoy some level of autonomy, including the ability to have a voice and choice in their lives, as well as relationships with others that demonstrate respect and fairness. In psychologically safe workplaces, leaders function much like coaches–recognizing the unique talents and abilities of each individual–and working to support and develop those talents and abilities. Organizational culture in psychologically safe workplaces is one of belonging, where mistakes are viewed as opportunities to learn, all people are accountable for their actions, and people feel comfortable asking for help when needed.
To assess your organization’s level of psychological safety, you can use Edmondson’s Psychological Safety Scale. This scale measures psychological safety in three domains: individual safety, team respect, and team learning. Questions ask participants to reflect on the degree to which they feel comfortable asking other people for help, how well teams can describe one another’s contributions to the team, as well as the ease at which difficult issues can be surfaced and addressed.
One of the challenges in implementing a psychologically safe workplace is finding ways to address impression management. Harvard Business School defines impression management as strategies individuals engage in to reduce “interpersonal risk by shaping how others see them, often to avoid appearing incompetent, uninformed, or negative.” When trying to create a culture that normalizes making mistakes, giving feedback, and asking for help, individuals may struggle to make this transition if they are concerned about being seen in a negative light by peers or supervisors. While remaining silent can feel protective, it is a lost opportunity to benefit from the diverse ideas and skills each individual team member brings.
Leaders can help support a cultural shift by modeling humility and vulnerability while creating low-risk opportunities for teams to begin practicing psychologically-safe engagement. One of Edmondson’s engagement strategies is creating a “jazz dialogue” which takes its inspiration from the improvisational, collaborative style of jazz music. In a jazz dialogue, participants are encouraged to stay open-minded, listen more than they talk, let-go of pre-planned ideas or talking points, and try to build on others’ contributions and ideas.
If you’re interested in a comprehensive approach to creating psychologically safe workplaces, our neighbor to the north has created a set of standards and accompanying tools to help you get started. In 2013, Canada’s Mental Health Commission launched The National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace referred to as “The Standard,” which has been voluntarily adopted across various types of organizations around the globe. The Standard contains case study research on the impacts of psychologically safe workplaces which includes positive impacts on employee retention, risk management, financial management, and productivity. The Standard is available as a free download.
Additional Resources
- How to Build Psychological Safety in the Workplace, Harvard Business School (https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/psychological-safety-in-the-workplace)
- Healthy Minds, Stronger Workplaces: National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, Mental Health Commission of Canada (https://mentalhealthcommission.ca/workplace-standard/)
- How Leaders Can Build Psychological Safety at Work, Center for Creative Leadership (https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/what-is-psychological-safety-at-work/)
Funding and support for this project has been provided by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, Safety and Health Investment Projects.
