Kerrie Nobes Consulting

Tailored interactive learning solutions in Leadership, Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Customer Service, Building Workplace Relationships etc.    Coaching for group cohesion and purpose & individual growth professionally.

JOIN US FOR OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS

5^th October 2023  Customer Service Excellence for Business Leaders & Owners
8:45am – 2:30pm at Doncaster Apartments by Nightcap Plus
A 30% discount code – MBN_Friends – applies for MBN Members.

18^th October 2023 Fostering a Growth Mindset and Effective Work Environment
8:45am – 2:30pm at Doncaster Apartments by Nightcap Plus
A 30% discount code – MBN_Friends – applies for MBN Members.

Please enjoy an article I have written for your interest …

PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY IN YOUR WORKPLACE – A MUST HAVE – June 2023

I thought long and hard about what the MBN community might find of value and decided on sharing some ideas to help your businesses and workplaces create Psychological Safety for your teams.  While in the past this has been a ‘value add’ and driver of success, it has now become legally mandated.

Psychological Safety is not a new term, it was first used back in 1960, however has come to the forefront through the work of people like Amy Edmondson (Author of ‘the fearless organisation’ and ‘Teaming’), Timothy R Clark (Author of ‘The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety’), Adam Grant (Author of ‘Think Again’).

What is psychological safety?

Psychological safety is the belief that you won’t be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes.  In essence it’s about making workplaces safe for your teams to bring their whole self to work.

Comments and questions I hear often include; “how does this matter to my bottom line”, ‘how does this fluffy stuff get so much air time’, ‘I just need my people to get on with the job’.  The reality is creating a safe environment for your people to create, innovate, discuss, debate strategy, and offer risk assessment is the surest way for a business to drive success.

Consider this, you have an employee who can see a risk to the reputation of the business or a possibility of losing a valued client.  If this person is in a psychologically safe environment, they are likely to share their concerns with their leader or business owner so that pre-emptive action can be taken.  In essence they are putting themselves on the line and making themselves vulnerable for the betterment of the business.  They are also more likely to be engaged contributors to your bottom line.  These individuals are working proactively and looking for opportunities to succeed.

In the alternative, a non-safe environment the same person would consider sharing their insight, and most likely decide to keep it to themselves.  Afterall they may have offered earlier insights and been disregarded as negative or pessimistic, or publicly shamed.  Don’t wait to hear “I tried to tell them”, as challenges unfold, or to see the effects of a reactive workforce.

The reality is that many employees who feel unsafe to speak their truths in a workplace choose to remain silent.  Think about that.  Not only are they not going to share their concerns or mistakes made, but they are also highly unlikely to be fully engaged in the work being asked of them and if they see a better way forward, they are not going to share that either!  The statistics are truly frightening.

When we feel undervalued or not heard we are wired to head to our fight or flight response.  Studies show if we land here, we are physically incapable of making sound, logical decisions.  Our brains are hijacked by emotion, and we lose the ability to create, innovate, problem solve, or make considered decisions.  We move to survival mode and bunker down to protect ourselves.

In the craziness that has been the Covid years the psychological state of our teams has taken a battering, even in the most forward and inclusive environments.  All businesses need a conscious process to ensure we get the value of our teams’ wisdom, knowledge, and skill.

If you’d like to discuss how you can create a psychologically safe working environment, or assess your environment, reach out.  I’m always happy to have a complimentary first chat and offer some options to help move your teams forward.    My way of looking at development and engagement comes in 3 pillared approach of:  SUPPORT, CHALLENGE and CHAMPION.

I look forward to chatting at upcoming MBN events and sharing business experiences and knowledge with you.