OSHA doesn’t enforce psychological safety…
April 14, 2016OSHA may not audit your organization’s psychological safety but you most definitely should!
This is 
what makes teams succeed or fail. It’s not member intellect, commonalities or diversity. The dynamics of a team and the environment will vary but everyone must feel a sense of psychological safety.
What is this?
It is whether members feel they can trust each other, that honest conversations can take place without fear of retribution.
Each teammate must have a seat at the table and an equal voice. Don’t get me wrong, this is not to be decision by consensus – each person does not have an equal vote. An equal voice means that each teammate has opportunity to shape the greater team’s decisions and outcomes.
While this typically begins with the team leader, any teammate can take the reigns of psychological safety. After all, as John C Maxwell once said, “The smallest crowd you will ever lead is YOU…but it’s the most important one.” By demonstrating the above mentioned behaviors you can influence others on the team. No matter your rank/title, think about what message your behavior might send.
Practice active listening…demonstrate sensitivity to what others think and feel…and harness self-awareness. Pretty soon you will begin to witness psychological safety in action and the success of your team blossom!
Disclaimer: Psychological safety might be less efficient in the
short run (allowing everyone to weigh in) but it is far more productive in the long run (members will be committed to the group). Remember, few worthwhile things in life come quickly.
Please share your thoughts in the comments section below as I learn just as much from you as you do from me.
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