Psychological safety is more than a checklist

You cannot create psychological safety by putting a checklist on a wall.

It also doesn't happen by holding a workshop, reading a book, or throwing a company party.

Sure, these efforts can create awareness and space for those who are interested, but it's not a one and done activity.

Psychological safety is about a deep, mutual trust and respect between people, and it doesn't happen overnight. It takes commitment and understanding from all parties, along with honest effort.

Very few teams I have worked with have this. Actually, I could probably list on one hand the number of work situations where I've truly felt psychologically safe myself.

In my experience, there are three common blockers that prevent psychological safety at work:

>> Leadership who is largely absent.
>> A company culture of secrecy, scarcity, and insecurity.
>> Lack of transparency around performance and expectations.

And of course toxic behaviors like overt bullying, micro aggressions, and exclusivity also contribute to the problem.

So how do we fix it?

It's my opinion the only way to resolve these issues is by having 100% buy-in and dedicated participation from the top. And the only way to do that is by having an executive team that actually cares about people, beyond how they benefit the bottom line.

This is possible, but maybe rare. I'm not sure. 🤔

❓ What do you think? How do we build true psychological safety at work?