Silence is detrimental to an organisation. By that I mean what is lost in the things employees don’t feel able to say due to fear of rejection or backlash.
It could be things about their mental health, the challenges they face in succeeding in their role or the small adjustments that would make a big difference to their health, happiness and performance.
What is left unsaid could also be positive things that would drive the team and business forward. Every employee has a unique background of experience and set of skills that they bring to work with them. They might see things differently, an untapped opportunity, but hesitate to share it if it goes against the norm.
As leaders, we have a duty of care to our people as we help them to feel and be their best. This is particularly poignant right now because of the landscape we are working in. The workforce is facing changes on all sides. There is political uncertainty, economic volatility and technological developments transforming the way we work.
Everyone is feeling unsettled. That’s why psychological safety matters more than ever. It matters for neurodivergent colleagues as you start a positive dialogue about how you can help them thrive at work. It matters to all colleagues who likely need reassurance that they can be themselves at work.
No matter what is going on outside of work, you can create an environment where people experience belonging, purpose and support.
What changes when you establish psychological safety
In an environment where people have a sense of psychological safety, they feel able to take interpersonal risks. They can share their real thoughts and feelings because they trust they will receive a positive response. They won’t be shamed or excluded for questioning, offering alternative options or making mistakes. This has a direct impact on the success of a team.
Speak up
When people feel psychologically safe, they share the negatives as well as the positives, helping create more positives! When things are going well, they will celebrate it. When they are struggling, they will ask for help. Having open conversations like this is so important to the wellbeing of all your team members. It’s particularly important for neurodivergent colleagues as they might need to ask for a different type of support in the workplace. Neurodivergent people are also more likely to experience burnout. Periods of intense focus can be followed by periods of exhaustion. Feeling able to talk about their mental health with their manager goes a long way to recovering from or preventing this cycle.
Ask questions
Everyone’s brains work differently. What seems obvious to one person might not seem obvious at all to another. Psychological safety ensures people feel able to ask questions without being judged. This enhances communication, collaboration and unity within the team. As well as asking questions about practical or technical matters, team members can ask questions about how to support each other. Curious questions are central to the Thriving Through Inclusion Roadmap. It offers an alternative to judgment or misunderstanding. Instead of noticing a difference and jumping to conclusions, people can ask a question to better understand their colleague and how they best contribute to the team. You can catch up on my webinar on curiosity as an inclusion tool HERE.
Contribute ideas
One of the many benefits of diverse workforces is the diverse thought patterns. Everyone sees things slightly differently. This drives creativity, innovation and effective problem-solving. However, to leverage this benefit, people need to feel able to step forward with their ideas. That’s what psychological safety gives them. Colleagues know that their ideas won’t be judged even if what they have come up with is outside the box or doesn’t work as planned. All contributions are valued so all contributions are shared.
Challenge preconceptions
Building on the last point, in a workplace of psychological safety, nothing is taken for granted. Teams don’t get stuck doing things the way they have always been done because people feel able to share their perspectives even if it differs from the norm. Innovation and optimisation become second nature when people are allowed to question what is accepted and suggest alternatives. The alternative might not end up being chosen but in the process there has been an evaluation of the best way forward to ensure maximum effectiveness.
With the benefits of psychological safety in the workplace clear, how do you create it? There are various ways you can signal to your team that they are allowed to be themselves. It will be celebrated because their unique perspective is valued. I share techniques for establishing and maintaining this level of trust in an upcoming free webinar. It’s one of my half-hour sessions where people can come to learn more about neurodiversity in the workplace and the tools and skills that will help everyone thrive through inclusion.
Book Why Psychological Safety Strengthens Neuroinclusive Workplaces (and practical steps to make this happen) and I’ll see you on Thursday 16th July at 4:30 pm. I’ll stay for 15 minutes after the webinar to answer any questions you have about what we discussed including the 30-day challenge that will enable you to immediately start establishing psychological safety.
