What's the current state of trust culture in your organization?

According to Amy C. Edmondson's research, only 30% of employees are convinced that their opinions count at work.

The majority remain silent, hide their mistakes rather than speak up, don't share their ideas, and therefore miss out on opportunities for collective development on a daily basis.

Working in such an environment means you don't feel listened to, nor do you feel useful. A climate of fear, however slight, is generally felt.

Psychological safety has been shown to strengthen commitment and improve results, as it fosters trust, creativity, collaboration and innovation within organizations.

Research has clearly shown that your organization's performance levels will be lower, and the number of interpersonal conflicts higher, if :

 some of your team members don't feel comfortable expressing themselves

 they avoid proposing innovative ideas for fear of rejection

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How does this affect your organization?

When leaders and their teams don't feel comfortable talking about initiatives that aren't working well, your organization isn't equipped to prevent failure.

When leaders and their teams are not fully engaged, your organization loses an opportunity to leverage all its talents.

 

 

What is psychological safety

 

Psychological safety is the conviction shared by team members that the team will not judge, reject or punish them for expressing themselves.

It's about trusting your leaders and your team.

How do you build a culture of trust?

A psychologically safe workplace starts with a sense of belonging. Employees need to feel accepted for who they are, including the characteristics that make them different from others.

Then, they need to be able to learn and grow by asking questions, giving and receiving authentic feedback, experimenting and making mistakes.

Psychological safety in the workplace encourages employees to feel secure in using their skills and abilities to make a meaningful contribution.

They can express themselves and challenge the status quo, and they clearly understand their role in improving the organization.

 

What are the key skills that foster a culture of psychological safety?

 

 Everyone can ask powerful, open-ended questions, then listen carefully to understand.

 Everyone is willing to share failures, recognizing that mistakes are an opportunity to learn and grow.

 Everyone is frank, whether expressing gratitude or disappointment.

 Everyone is able to ask for help and give it freely. The organization is willing to call on the expertise of a large number of people, rather than adopting a "hero" mentality.

 Everyone has learned to encourage and express gratitude, which boosts team members' self-esteem.

What's the current state of trust culture in your organization?

 

Source : Amy C. Edmondson, The Fearless Organization

Jake Herway, How to Create a Culture of Psychological Safety

Marie Hendrick