Psychological Safety
It’s not a nice-to-do anymore.
Integrating and measuring psychological safety is good for your people and protects your thriving business.
Psychological safety at work refers to how employees feel comfortable, secure, and supported in expressing their thoughts, ideas, concerns, and opinions without fear of negative consequences. It is an essential component of a healthy and productive work environment.
According to the 2019 Shain report “Getting Ahead of the Perfect Legal Storm,” employers who adopt a standard of care for workers’ psychological safety that exceeds the minimum legal requirement may avoid many of the worst legal entanglements regarding psychological injury.
We help you realize workplace psychological health and safety while embracing the evidence-based Standard*. Our certified auditors are committed to identifying obstacles and opportunities. By using an external auditor, you minimize bias and political dynamics. Our assessment methodology can be as simple or comprehensive as you need, ensuring actionable insights for transformative change.
*National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety (Canada)
Our 5-step process:
- Prepare you to proceed with a psychological health and safety assessment
- Use proven assessment tools to analyze psychological health and safety
- Align psychological health and safety with organizational goals and objectives
- Develop implementation plans based on evaluation results
- Assess and evaluate implementation plans
The Key Aspects of Psychological Safety
Open Communication: In psychologically safe workplaces, employees are encouraged to voice their opinions, share their ideas, and express their concerns. They feel confident that their contributions will be valued and respected, regardless of their role or level within the organization.
Trust and Respect: Trust and respect are fundamental in fostering psychological safety. Team members trust their colleagues and leaders to act in their best interests and respect their perspectives, even when they differ.
No Fear of Retaliation: Employees should not fear retaliation, such as criticism, ridicule, or negative career consequences, for speaking up or making mistakes. Instead, they should be met with understanding and constructive feedback.
Diverse Perspectives: A psychologically safe workplace embraces diversity and recognizes that people from different backgrounds, with varying experiences and viewpoints, bring unique strengths and insights to the table. This inclusivity encourages the sharing of diverse perspectives.
Supportive Leadership: Leaders play a crucial role in creating a psychologically safe environment. They should actively promote open communication, provide guidance, and lead by example in terms of vulnerability and willingness to listen.
Learning Culture: A psychologically safe workplace values learning and growth. It recognizes that mistakes are opportunities for improvement and encourages ongoing learning and development.
Team Collaboration: Teams in psychologically safe environments collaborate effectively. They work together, support one another, and encourage each member to contribute their best.
Reduced Stress and Burnout: When employees feel psychologically safe, they experience lower levels of stress and burnout. They are more engaged, motivated, and committed to their work.
Innovation and Creativity: A psychologically safe culture fosters innovation and creativity. Employees are more willing to take risks, experiment with new ideas, and explore unconventional solutions to challenges.
Employee Well-Being: Organizations that prioritize psychological safety also tend to support overall mental and emotional well-being. This positively impacts the work-life balance and job satisfaction of their staff.
Psychological safety is a foundational element of a healthy and high-performing workplace. It enables employees to be themselves, take risks, and contribute to the organization’s success without fearing negative consequences. This promotes open communication, trust, productivity, collaboration, and innovation, creating a positive and supportive work environment.
Don’t just assume your workplace is psychologically safe — conduct an audit.