Psychological safety

Overview

In the dynamic world of knowledge work, psychological safety stands as the bedrock of innovation and collaboration. This workshop inspired by Amy C. Edmondsons' principles from The Fearless Organization, delves into creating an environment where ideas flow freely and mistakes are seen as learning opportunities. It's about fostering a culture where expressing concerns, asking questions and sharing half-formed ideas are not just accepted but encouraged.

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Context

Psychological safety is the belief that one won't be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes. It's a concept deeply ingrained in our ethos. From children learning at the mobile school to adults engaging in a StreetwiZe session on positive focus, safety in expression is key to learning and growth. The catastrophic events at Chernobyl, stemming from a culture of fear, underscore the life-and-death importance of psychological safety in organisations.

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Approach

Our workshop on psychological safety guides teams through three fundamental behaviours:

1. Embracing Challenges as Learning Opportunities: Viewing problems as experiments, focusing on learning for improvement.
2. Acknowledging Fallibility: Encouraging admission of mistakes and unknowns, fostering an environment where others can do the same.
3. Promoting Curiosity: Stimulating inquiry and assistance-seeking behaviour to create a space for open expression, vital for team performance.

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Participants are steered through four steps towards enhanced psychological safety:

• Ensuring each member feels like an integral part of the team.
• Cultivating a safe space for learning.
• Creating an environment conducive to team contributions.
• Fostering a climate where challenging the status quo is welcomed.

Practical tips and exercises help participants in implementing these steps within their teams.

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Post-Training Insights

Participants will gain:

• An understanding of psychological safety.
• Reasons to invest in psychological safety.
• Proven techniques to foster it.

Post-Training Capabilities:

• Assessing the level of safety within a team.
• Identifying key areas to enhance this safety.
• Formulating and implementing effective improvement steps.