Training for Psychological Safety at Work

Psychological Safety at Work

Kristen Hansen CEO & Founder, EnHansen Performance

What Is Psychological Safety at Work?

Psychological safety is the ability to share one’s thoughts and feelings without risk of damaging one’s reputation or standing. In teams, it refers to team members believing that they can take risks without being shamed by other team members. In psychologically safe teams, team members feel accepted and respected.

Generating Psychological Safety for Self

• Understanding what psychological safety is

• The benefits of psychological safety

• Creating a brain state for psychological safety (understand how the brain works and how the PFC interacts with the limbic system In detecting threat in our environment)

• Creating a growth mindset and reappraisal techniques in order to regulate our own sense of safety (including things such as: seeing feedback as a gift, understanding different personality styles can be more slant/direct vs passive/indirect and recognise these as an emotional response of fight, flight or freeze)

Leading and Collaborating to Generate Psychological Safety

Strategies to Create Psychological Safety

• Promote self-awareness.

• Demonstrate concern for team members as people.

• Actively solicit questions.

• Provide multiple ways for employees/others to share their thoughts.

• Show value and appreciation for ideas.

• Promote positive dialogue and discussion.

• Be precise with information, expectations and commitments.

• Explain reasons for change. Share the “why”.

• Own up to mistakes.

Stretch Goals as a Tool building Psychological Safety

• Stretch Goal is giving someone the opportunity to do something they have not done before but have the skills and capabilities to do:

• Communicating with them at every step

• Making sure there is psychological safe

• Knowing there will be mistake, anticipating and enjoying mistakes as part of growth process

• Celebrate success