101: Psychological safety
Where it may sound like simply meaning feeling comfortable speaking up, in the corporate world, psychological safety goes beyond that, and is crucial to building a productive team. It means a culture where mistakes can be discussed and learned from. The phrase was reportedly introduced by Harvard Business School Professor Amy Edmondson, who called it, “a team climate characterized by interpersonal trust and mutual respect in which people are comfortable being themselves.” Here are ways to create psychological safety.
Frame work as learning problems, not execution problems.
There needs to be understanding all team members need each other for uncertainly ahead, said Shana Lebowitz, citing Edmondson at BusinessInsider.com. The importance of all team members' input should be well established, with an attitude of, “we can't know what will happen; we've got to have everybody's brains and voices in the game,” she said.
Don't forget about onboarding.
From an MIT Sloan Management Review article: “When newcomers are 'processed' to accept an organization's identity, they are expected to downplay their own identities … [that] may not be optimal in the long run for either the organization or the individual employee.” The article suggests employees being encouraged to use their strengths from day one. Maybe a salesperson who likes graphic arts could design promotional flyers.
Go in curious, not blameful.
“If you believe you already know what the other person is thinking, then you're not ready to have a conversation,” writes Laura Delizonna of Harvard Business Review. She cites researcher John Gottman's work in showing blame can escalate conflict and eventually lead to disengagement – a nail in the coffin of any team's productivity (and potentially of that team member's job satisfaction, as well).
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