The start of a new year is often a time for goal setting, for both individuals and teams. As a leader, how can you encourage your team to think big and set ambitious goals?
In this article, Justin Temblett-Wood explores how creating a psychologically safe environment could be the key to fostering a culture where people are encouraged and empowered to think beyond the conventional, and strive for something beyond the everyday.
What does a psychologically safe environment look like?
Creating a physiologically safe environment is about creating a space where people feel able and empowered to step out and declare ambitious goals. It's a space where people feel confident they won't be punished or judged for speaking up, asking questions, expressing concerns, or admitting mistakes.
Amy Edmondson, who first coined the phrase in an influential journal article, defined it as: “The belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes, and that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking.”
Edmondson identified four dynamics that can hinder psychological safety:
These fears lead to people setting minimum goals to avoid potential judgement. They stay within the confines of the ‘blob’ and avoid anything that might expose them to criticism.
In less empowering environments, where people don’t feel safe or think they’re going to be judged about not behaving a certain way, you tend to see people only setting bare minimum goals. This is typically because people believe that they may be thought of as too ambitious, stupid, or naïve.
Unsurprisingly then, teams operating in psychologically safe environments perform more strongly than those that don’t. According to McKinsey research, 89% of people say that psychological safety is essential in the workplace. And according to neuroscientist Paul J Zak in his book Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High-Performance Companies, psychologically safe employees are 76% more engaged, 50% more productive, and 50% more likely to stay.
So, when thinking about goal setting for the new year, it may be helpful to first think about psychological safety, and whether your teams feel in a position to declare their ambitions boldly, without fear of judgement. Without this, the goals you see being set may just be the bare minimum.
So how can leaders foster psychological safety?
While the term ‘psychological safety’ certainly isn’t a new concept, we still find that many leaders underestimate its importance in developing high performance teams. If you find yourself in this boat, how do you address the issue and start creating possibility for your teams?
Firstly, it’s vital to acknowledge the importance of psychological safety. Leaders need to explicitly state their commitment to creating a psychologically safe environment and define what that means for their team. This should be a collaborative effort, involving the team in shaping the expectations and behaviours that will foster this safety. You need to ask, “what are our expectations of each other?”
Secondly, leaders must role model the desired behaviours. Saying the right things while acting in a way that contradicts those statements can be more damaging than saying nothing at all. It’s about embodying the principles of psychological safety in every interaction and decision.
It’s also important to develop environments where everyone can contribute. In our experience, the bias in many organisations is towards extroversion, which is largely down to bad facilitation. For example, if you only have one forum for raising ideas – a large meeting – you may find that the extroverts feel safe to voice their opinions, but the introverts are sidelined.
To counter this, consider different meeting settings, but perhaps also incorporating mechanisms for anonymous feedback and peer-to-peer accountability. For example, anonymous surveys can provide a safe space for team members to voice concerns.
Consider also mechanisms for empowering team members to hold each other accountable for maintaining a psychologically safe environment. This can shift the focus from top-down control to collective responsibility.
Finally, frame problems as learning opportunities. Instead of focusing on blame and judgement, encourage the team to view setbacks as chances to learn and improve. This shift in perspective can foster a growth mindset where mistakes are seen as stepping stones to success.
A psychologically safe environment is crucial for setting breakthrough goals, as by their definition, they require teams to operate differently and move beyond their comfort zones. This can only happen when individuals feel safe to experiment, take risks, and learn from their mistakes.
Looking to create an impossible future? Get in touch to explore how we can help you ignite your ambitions.