The Importance of Psychological Safety at Work

Are you aware that the way your company manages psychological safety in the workplace could be massively detrimental to the success of your workplace safety program? Likewise, if your organization is managing psychological safety well, it can enhance the efficacy of your program. What are you doing to promote psychological safety in your workplace?
 
What is Psychological Safety?
 
Psychological safety is the belief that you will not be ridiculed, humiliated, laughed at, chastised, or punished for bringing forth an idea, question, thought, observation, concern, or error. This should also be encapsulated in your workplace violence and harassment policy. To be effective, the belief that employees can speak up must be shared among the workforce and ingrained in all practices. Employees need to believe they can come to work, be their authentic selves, and lay all on the line when it matters. 

Psychological Safety Online Training Course

Workplace Violence and Harassment Policy

The success of workplace safety programs is tied to psychological safety

Why Does Psychological Safety Matter?

The success of workplace safety programs depends on many things. Much of its success is tied to actions and ideals that are associated with psychological safety, such as:
 

• Employees reporting hazards, potential hazards, and unsafe behaviours/conditions
• A strong IRS, safety culture, and ability to collaborate and share ideas
• The ability to test ideas in a safe space
• Leaders who welcome being challenged (in a respectful manner)

 
Without psychological safety, employees may be reluctant to report hazards, disclose errors or near misses, and keep ideas for innovations to themselves. They may also feel that they cannot challenge a leader, even when the leader is either wrong or could be supported in strengthening ideas. 

Productive conflict can only happen in psychologically safe work environments

The Conflict Myth

There’s a myth in the workplace that all conflict is bad. This myth is sometimes strengthened and fueled when the psychological safety of a workplace is poor or non-existent.
 
Conflict is bad when it’s unproductive. Unproductive conflicts focus on the person rather than the problem. It includes name-calling, incivility, blame, and other very personal attacks. But conflict does not have to be bad; in fact, it can be very productive!

Productive conflict can only happen in psychologically safe work environments. It is characterized by:

•  Problem-focused statements instead of personal statements
• Evidence of active listening and reflection before speaking
• Frequent reminders of shared goals
• Desire to find a solution
• Willingness to make some concessions to reach an agreement

 
Productive conflict simply cannot take place if there is no psychological safety. Without positive conflict, your workplace safety program could stagnate, suffer, or apply ineffective solutions or controls – all because employees didn’t feel safe enough bringing forward their thoughts, questions, ideas, or recommendations.

Learn How to Use Conflict Strategically

Strengthen Psychological Safety in your Workplace

​Most workplaces have some degree of psychological safety. But, if you want to get the most out of your employees and take advantage of their unique perspectives, experiences, and ideas, strengthening psychological safety is a great place to start. 

Clear Expectations: make it known that psychological safety is now the standard and the expectation moving forward. Support this with a policy.
 
Model it: You must always model a psychologically safe attitude. The trust required for psychological safety will be built on consistent behaviours.
 
Share the Air: Ensure that everyone has a chance to speak. If necessary, facilitate the opportunities during round-table discussions, safety talks, and Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) meetings.

Talk about it: Welcome questions and feedback from employees. If this psychological safety, growth mindset, and productive conflict are new for them, let them talk about their concerns or doubts. Reassure them with actions, not words.

Growth Mindset: Commit to a growth mindset and communicate it to employees. This will be the groundwork for how failure is handled. All failures, errors, near misses, and missteps need to be framed as valuable opportunities to learn and do better. It is a challenge to move from a blame culture and the need to always be “right,” but the effort is well worth it. When people feel safe to make errors or be wrong, they start to bring forward amazing, creative, out-of-the-box ideas and solutions.

Dispel the Conflict Myth: No longer is conflict viewed as negative in your workplace. Ensure all staff know that conflict is a gift and will be managed productively and positively to ensure the most desirable outcome for everybody and the organization. Along with a growth mindset, staff will find this uncomfortable. That’s okay. Support them, lead them, and model for them as they find their way. 

Treat conflict as a gift to be managed productively and positively to ensure the most desirable outcome for everyone in the organization

Trust MidSouthWest Training and Consulting

MidSouthWest Training and Consulting offers an online Psychological Safety Awareness program. We also offer Workplace Violence and Harassment Training. You can trust MidSouthWest Training and Consulting to provide you with cost-effective training solutions tailored to meet your organization’s unique health and safety needs.
 
To ask questions, contact us online or call 289.309.1143. Visit us 24/7 on the web at midsouthwest.ca.

​Last updated March 14, 2022