The Happy Company #1: The Importance of Psychological Safety

Welcome to The Happy Company: your bi-weekly guide to a Human 1^st company culture.

Today, you’ll get the #1 topic that will change everything in companies that prioritize this (also key to drive 1 thing you may not expect). 🔥 Scroll down.

Let me ask you something…

Did you ever find yourself in a meeting where you had a groundbreaking idea but hesitated to speak up? Or perhaps you've witnessed a colleague struggling but remained silent, because of fearing judgment or other negative consequences?

The answer was “Yes” right?

Welcome to the nuanced world of psychological safety, the cornerstone of thriving company cultures. In this edition, I’ll dive deeper into why it matters and how it transforms teams and organizations.

What is Psychological Safety?

Psychological safety, a concept pioneered by Harvard professor Amy Edmondson, refers to the shared belief within a team that it is safe to take interpersonal risks, like:

• asking questions,

• admitting mistakes,

• proposing new ideas,

• or raising concerns / doubts,

all without fear of negative consequences to self-image, status, or career.

Why Does It Matter?

Psychological safety lays the foundation for trust and collaboration. Add some vulnerability to the mix and people will also start feeling comfortable in trying new things while not feeling afraid to fail. Here then comes the 1 thing you may not have expected: Innovation.

Real Life Example: Google's Project Aristotle

In the early 2010s, Google embarked on a quest to uncover the secrets of effective teams through Project Aristotle. Surprisingly, they found that team effectiveness wasn't determined by factors like individual intelligence or personality types. Instead, what distinguished high-performing teams was the presence of psychological safety.

Teams where members felt safe to speak up, share ideas, and admit mistakes were more:

• innovative,

• productive,

• and cohesive.

Google's findings confirmed the profound impact of psychological safety on team dynamics and organizational success.

Cultivating Psychological Safety

So, how can leaders foster psychological safety within their teams?

1. Listen, actively and before speaking:
   Every voice should have an equal chance of being heard and valued.

2. Encourage diverse perspectives:
   Embrace differing opinions and create space for constructive conflict.

3. Lead by example:
   Show vulnerability and openness to encourage others to do the same.

4. Embrace failures:
   Failures are changes to learn and be more successful next time. Innovation will not happen when “failure is not an option”.

To sum it up, psychological safety isn't a luxury; it's a necessity for high-performing teams and thriving organizations. By prioritizing psychological safety, leaders can unleash the full potential of their teams and create a culture where individuals feel empowered to be, bring, become their best selves.

Stay tuned for the next edition, where I’ll explore strategies for building trust in remote teams.

Until then, remember: In a psychologically safe environment, everyone has a voice worth hearing with the right to be there.

Cheers,

Roel