Creating psychological safety is challenging and demands empathy and consistent action from leaders. Keeping the environment safe is a complex dynamic, and empathy is not enough. People should trust each other first. Creating trust requires showing vulnerabilities, admitting mistakes, and taking action on constructive feedback. When a leader’s words and actions do not align, trust is broken. Trust is the first step, but it’s not the last one. I’ve experienced that even when people trust each other, some folks are more hesitant than others to raise their voices because of their backgrounds and how they learned from previous situations in their lives (be it a cultural background or from their previous company’s culture). It is crucial to guide and show them their possible positive impact on the team.
On the other hand, the culture decays when performance and delivery become the first thing people look for instead of creating the best possible work. In the long term, delivery and performance decay. It’s impossible to keep high performance for an extended period when it’s the most important thing. A performance culture works in the short term (such as in task forces). However, psychological safety creates better results if the team has a longer-term vision and work.
- Related Note(s):
- 6: Being a boss who cares personally;
- 22: Cross-Cultural Communication;
- 24a: Creating goals when you join a new team;
- 3b2: Building Trust as a Leader;
- 40c: Learning How to Receive Feedback;
- 44: Understanding Differences in Opinions and Perspectives;
- 53: Guiding Direct Reports as Manager;
- 44g: Persuading others requires accepting their arguments and building empathy;
- 3: Being a Team Manager and Manager’s Job;
- Source(s): Think Again by Adam Grant;
