Psychological safety is an environment at work where people feel free to express their opinions without fearing repurcussions of expressing their thoughts .
In many organizations this is a mirage ! The workers are suppressed and their voice is ignored .This may work for a while but in the long run ,the results may be undesirable .
Workers will leave the organization .Growth will be stifled and the work environment can become toxic .
During a meeting workers need to express their opinions and suggestions in terms of their work.For example at a school the head may hold a staff meeting to discuss ways of improving pass rates ,if the head come up with prescriptions and share to the teachers ,the teachers may remain quiet yet they are the ones who are meeting the students in class and know exactly what may work to bring a positive change to the results .
The head needs to create an environment which allows the members of staff to express their suggestions without feeling belittled patronized or judged .This is not the case in most cases .The workers feel intimidated and so decide to keep quiet.
Ways to create Psychological safety
1 .Deal with your insecurities as a leader .
2 .Do not personalize issues during a meeting .As you chair the meeting listen to submissions objectively and pay attention to what is being said .
3 .Set aside your ego and allow the bigger picture mentality to carry the day .
4.Be professional .No follow ups outside the official meeting to victimize people who would have voiced their opinions .
5.Look beyond the speaker and hear the message .
6.Generate ground rules as a team before the meeting and stick to them .
7.Set aside your past biases and cultural misconceptions .
8.Don’t allow your past negative experiences to cause you to stereo type people or meetings .
9.Always remember to uphold the values and mission of the organization in your meetings and in your dealings at work .
10.Examine your leadership styles and adjust where necessary.You are dealing with men and women and not kindergarten!.
(Chaka 2023)
Benefits of psychological safety at work
1.A plethora of ideas are generated which may be beneficial to the organization.
2.As leader you don’t know everything .You need others to bring new insights .
3.People feel appreciated.
4.People take ownership of what is generated in the meeting and implement it .
5 .Production is improved .
6.Some conflicts are minimized
7.It boosts morale among workers .
8.It foster and cements team work.
Models of leadership in organizations at times stifle growth and put a ceiling on the growth of the workers and the company .
The writer Professor Elias Chakabwata is the Executive President of Impact Training Institute.He trains and provides leadership consultancy to individuals and organizations.He can contacted on 0732288687
www.impacttraininginstitute.co.zw