31.05.2024 Isabel Hempel 12598

Psychological safety in teams: 10 tips

In order for employees to actively participate in projects and tasks, they need psychological security. Otherwise they will remain silent. Read how you as a manager can create an environment in which your team members work together openly, innovatively and confidently and express their opinions openly.

Psychological safety: a thought experiment

Do you think a team member would point out to you if you made a mistake as a manager? And would you then admit the mistake? Would you be grateful to the team member for pointing it out? Or would resentment build up inside? What would your response be? And what would be the consequences?

With this little thought experiment, you are right in the middle of a topic that is closely linked to team cohesion and corporate success: psychological safety. Amy Edmondson, Professor of Leadership at Harvard Universityintroduced this term into the business context back in the 1990s.

At the time, the management icon was investigating the susceptibility of the American healthcare system to breakdowns. Her initial hypothesis was that better teams make fewer mistakes. As the research progressed, it turned out that the opposite was true. Amy Edmondson found that the successful teams did make mistakes, but they talked about them openly and did not sweep anything under the carpet. The decisive factor was the interpersonal interaction between those involved:

Did the nurse dare to tell the senior physician on duty that a patient had been overdosed in her eyes? Was her supervisor grateful to her for pointing this out or did she reject the comment as a matter of hierarchical order? How capable was the team involved here of learning from the mistake and making logical decisions together?

Definition: Psychological safety in the team

The concept of psychological safety in teams describes the level at which members feel free to express their ideas and concerns, ask questions and point out mistakes without fear of negative consequences - i.e. fear of consequences that, in the worst-case scenario, would affect their personal reputation, status or career. Psychological safety therefore describes the conviction that the working environment is safe from interpersonal risks.

Disagree with the boss: Could that hurt me?

It sounds somehow obvious: disagreeing with the boss because I see a hurdle in a task, for example - and being sure that my objection will not have any negative consequences. On the contrary: it's even welcome because the objection is constructive.

But that's not always the case.

Because if I want to disagree with the head doctor or have an unconventional solution to a problem in mind, it helps me a lot to know that I can feel safe when I say what I think. Ultimately, the point is that we humans make ourselves vulnerable when we express a contrary opinion.

Because when in doubt, we have to endure the fact that someone might be outraged or angry with us, explains Edmondson in the Team A podcast from Manager Magazine. As a rule, however, we want people to think well of us, and in the worst case scenario, this desire leads us to remain silent.

So it's about big emotions such as fear, the need for harmony or the desire to belong - but in an environment that is intent on acting as rationally as possible.

Some people may think that a company is not an arena for interpersonal sensitivities. But the crux of the matter is that people work in companies. And people are deeply emotional.

Employee silence: the silence of team members

Research has also found a term for the fact that people sometimes prefer to remain silent rather than express their concerns: Employee silence describes the phenomenon when employees hesitate or refuse to disclose their opinions or suggestions in the workplace.

The example of the nurse who discovers that a patient seems to be overdosed with medication but does not tell her manager makes it radically clear how negatively silence can affect organizational performance. If valuable feedback and ideas are not communicated, the damage can be huge or even life-threatening(Employee Silence according to Elisabeth Morrison).

Vague feedback leads to confusion

Another strategy for avoiding conflicts, even though it is actually time to say: "Not like this, please!", is to beat around the bush, i.e. to communicate in an unclear and incomprehensible way. The aim is to avoid damaging the harmony - at least in the short term.

Especially when managers act in this way, this avoidance strategy can have damaging long-term effects on both individual performance and the team as a whole. Vague feedback is given that leads to confusion rather than clarity, in an attempt to avoid straining the personal relationship with the colleague.

In her bestseller "Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity" (2017), leadership expert Kim Scott calls this type of response to mistakes in companies "ruinous empathy" and explains what leaders should do instead - namely be relentlessly open.

"Ruthless cand or" or "radical candor" is based on the balance between personal care and direct feedback. Managers who practice radical candor not only build trusting relationships with their employees, but also promote psychological safety, writes Scott.

10 tips for more psychological safety in your team

By: Darina Doubravova, executive coach and head of the pme Academy

Regardless of how rigid the company structures are, you can strengthen the psychological safety in your own team. Through open communication, a culture of error and regular exchanges, you can create an environment in which everyone feels safe to express ideas and concerns. Ten tips on how you can positively influence the dynamics and performance of your team:

1. be a role model: If you have made a mistake, own up to it

As a manager, you should start by talking openly about mistakes. For example: "Yes, I made a mistake here. Here's what I've learned from it (...). I will try to do things differently in future".

2. speak openly about uncertainties

If you as a manager are not sure exactly what the right path is, be open about it. In times of complex interrelationships, it is unlikely and presumptuous for one person to claim the prerogative of interpretation for themselves alone. Get other opinions and be transparent about it by talking about the fact that you are following the ideas of your team members. Build in feedback loops to quickly recognize when the chosen decision may not have been the right one after all.

3. ask questions and ask for ideas

Actively asking for the ideas and opinions of team members promotes a sense of appreciation and belonging. Questions such as "What ideas do you have?" or "What are we overlooking here?" encourage employees to get involved and share their perspective. This strengthens the feeling that every voice counts and contributes to the innovative strength of the team.

4. also say thank you in case of contradiction

Does someone in the team have a different view on how a particular problem can be solved? Thank them for their opinion and check it. If you come to the conclusion that your suggestion still seems to be the right one, make it transparent and explain why.

5. promote people who have failed with projects

It is important to promote employees who have done a good job despite failed projects. This shows that the company recognizes the process and efforts, not just the result. When projects fail, it is often not only due to the team, but also to external factors such as market conditions. Recognizing and encouraging these team members signals that failure is an accepted part of the learning process.

6. celebrate mistakes and see them as an opportunity for improvement

Mistakes should not only be tolerated, but seriously celebrated as learning opportunities. A culture that sees mistakes as opportunities for improvement encourages a positive attitude towards challenges. Team meetings could include regular "mistake celebrations" where employees share their mistakes and reflect together on what they have learned from them. Laughter should also be allowed.

7. encourage regular exchanges within the team

Encourage regular exchanges and discussions within the team to identify and remove obstacles to feedback. Actively ask: "What prevents us from giving feedback?". These open conversations help to identify the causes of reluctance and develop strategies to overcome them. A continuous feedback culture supports the development and growth of the entire team.

8. get feedback

Get regular feedback as a manager. Ask others to reflect with you on what is going well and what you can do better.

9. create commitment and rules for feedback

Create commitment and rules for other team members on how feedback is given and received. Consider with the team members whether a defined framework is needed for this.

10. deal with the Delegation Board

Use a delegation board - this is a visual tool used in teams and organizations to create clarity about who is responsible for which decisions and at what level decisions can be made. Think about which decisions you need to make as a manager and which can be made by the team.