“Cultivating Psychological Safety is like nurturing a garden of diverse values; it’s about cherishing authenticity, respect, and accountability in the fertile soil of our collective identity. Together, we sow the seeds of greatness inherent in each of us, yielding a vibrant, thriving community.”
When we think of a community, it’s not just a space where we share geographical coordinates. Communities are collective souls that bind together to bring about change for the benefit of everyone in their vicinity. The principles and values they uphold serve as guideposts for the desired outcomes they wish to materialise. These values, deeply ingrained in every individual, are then expressed, and enacted by every community member.
As we navigate through the digital age, our understanding of a community is constantly evolving. From personal triumphs to support for local businesses, the internet, especially social media, helps our community values bloom. While the blossoming diversity within our communities pushes us to continually adapt our values, it’s essential that we stay true to our core principles that shape the kind of communities we strive to be.
If you delve into any person’s value system within a community, you’d likely find authenticity, honesty, respect, and accountability at the top of their list. These are precisely the values that Psychological Safety champions and ensures their steadfastness across every member of a workplace community. This, in turn, reinforces social and financial resources for the broader community.
In the heart of every community lies a perception…
Often, when we contemplate the essence of community, we’re considering the deep connections that make our space feel like “the perfect home.” This could mean having a secure and clean environment brimming with warm, friendly individuals. And let’s not forget the workplace. Career satisfaction paves the way for personal fulfilment, which is vital for an individual to thrive within their role and as part of a team. Fulfilment sparks the fire to embrace diversity and build stronger bonds, leading to exponential growth in networking opportunities!
According to research, only 23% of employees from lower-income households and 45% from higher-income households felt they were in a psychologically safe working environment. This range, 23-45%, is a crucial metric for gaining competitive edge. When you cultivate a work environment that radiates authenticity and safety, employees are more dedicated, and their loyalty to the organisation is bolstered.
When we feel content and take pride in our roles, we’re more likely to share our positive experiences with others. Maybe you’ve heard someone talk about their desire to join a specific team because of how that business values its employees. This is how a reputation chain is born—through word of mouth. The more an organisation fosters a psychologically safe working environment, the better its reputation.
The fruits of our labour can indeed taste sweet…
Imagine teamwork and collaboration as a fruit salad: we may differ at our roots, but when we come together, we create a vibrant blend of skills and traits, helping the organisation meet its objectives. Just like fruits, it’s crucial to express our potential ideas or feedback while they’re fresh.
Psychological Safety fosters this kind of open environment that encourages proactive communication. It instils a collective belief in a safe space where mistakes are not seen as failures but as opportunities for learning and personal growth. While every comment may not receive applause and while it doesn’t endorse laziness or conflict, it encourages real growth so each team member can achieve success.
The opportunity for growth is paramount for personal and organisational development. It also instils the confidence individuals need to manage interpersonal risks and strengthen their problem-solving abilities. One voice can avert significant mistakes. Studies have shown that teams more willing to report their errors or consider overlooked perspectives are more successful in their commitment to providing high-quality care.
Psychological safety model for a safe environment…
The important social drivers, or ethics, that Psychological Safety seeks to cultivate and enhance are the key to promoting a thriving environment inside the workplace and out. The Psychological Safety model addresses the needs for security, autonomy, fairness, esteem, and trust and uses them to generate practical solutions. Once these needs are met and we learn how to use them effectively, our behaviour patterns change, creating the potential to influence our clients and the surrounding community.
The Psychological Safety model involves assessing our innermost questions and preferences by categorising them for ease in simplifying the process before working towards the goals that they will in turn present.
Security: seeks constructive feedback and means for stability. This might look like the need for reassurance, adhering to detailed or consistent routines, or preferring clarity over risks or changes.
Autonomy: aims to maintain independence and freedom. Those who seek autonomy will often not like being told what to do and might have tendencies to avoid commitments or otherwise feel limited in their mannerisms of self-expression or comfortability.
Fairness: employing a high moral compass—one that seeks justice and is eager to contribute. A person who values fairness will go to lengths to promote transparency through safety for all, which may include campaigning against bullying or for uneven change.
Esteem: valuing one’s self-worth and reputation. Status is extremely important, whether this involves heightened sensitivity to the opinions of others or attachments to material possessions. How one perceives the importance of their own self-worth is crucial to how one functions on a daily basis.
Trust: it establishes strong connectivity and collaboration. Networking and team orientation is where trust thrives the most, sometimes even prioritising loyalty to the team over one’s own needs.
By thoroughly understanding how we, as prospering individuals, prioritise the values we reflect in our mannerisms, we stand to gain an extremely beneficial perspective—our values show our collective identity as a community. While some of us may present some attributes higher than others, we all still have the same principles that have seen success in what keeps our community thriving. Together, we WILL build and maintain the greatness that’s inside all of us.