MENTAL HEALTH: Is your workplace psychologically safe?

You may have heard the phrase ‘psychological safety’ bandied about, in reference to workplaces. If you’re not sure what exactly it refers to, here’s a simple explainer.
In its most basic form it refers to a climate where workers feel comfortable in expressing their ideas, questions and concerns without having any fear of being embarrassed or punished for doing so. This in turn creates an environment in which there is open communication and effective collaboration, with far-reaching benefits for both the employer and employee.
A workplace conducive to psychological safety would look like people having trust and respect for one another, particularly when it comes to open communication. Whoever shared will not be ridiculed or suffer rejection. There will be signs of inclusiveness, where everyone’s voice is equally valued with an emphasis on welcoming diverse perspectives.
A very important aspect is that any errors made are viewed as learning opportunities rather than situations in which people are blamed for taking a risk. Negative repercussions or blame has no place in such an environment.
The benefits of this kind of workplace include higher motivation among staff. When people can speak up without fear of retribution they are more likely to suggest things that will work to propel the organisation forward. If the opposite is true, employees may sit on their ideas, as they fear that they will not be listened to or taken seriously.
Performance is also boosted when people are collaborating well together and supporting each other – a key characteristic of psychological safety. And probably one of the most important benefits is the greater learning and development that will occur. An environment in which people can comfortably admit to mistakes creates an opportunity for everyone to learn from them.

Making it happen
So, now we know what psychological safety in the workplace looks like. But who ultimately holds responsibility for it?
Well, like a lot of workplace scenarios, both the employer and employee have a part to play cultivating psychological safety.
From the employer’s point of view, they are responsible for fostering a culture where openness is the norm. Where possible, they should also exhibit the behaviours that they wish their team members to have, such as taking measured risks and admitting to any mistakes made.
They should also make an effort to facilitate open communication with their employees, perhaps through feedback sessions during which they can freely share suggestions. If there are gaps in the culture, leaders should explore training and learning opportunities to better equip their team members. This may involve working on communication skills or conflict-resolution strategies, for example.
From the employee’s perspective, there are some things they should work towards implementing. The most obvious is speaking up and sharing thoughts or suggestions, even if they feel totally left field. When the environment is safe, what have you got to lose in at least voicing them?
But it’s not just about taking the floor. It’s about supporting colleagues when they take similar risks or make some mistakes along the way. Engaging respectfully with one another is of utmost importance, treating colleagues with respect for their alternative perspectives goes a long way towards establishing a workplace culture of psychological safety. Be sure to include others in discussions and decision-making processes, to ensure every voice is heard.
As a whole, psychological safety really just means that people feel safe to be themselves and express their thoughts and ideas in the workplace. In these kinds of environments, people know that speaking up won’t lead to them being ignored or blamed, and they feel they can ask questions freely.
Importantly, people who work in psychologically safe environments tend to report higher overall job satisfaction and better workplace relationships, and exhaustion and burnout are reportedly less likely to occur. So everyone in the organisation – employer and employee – benefits.

• Sadhbh Dunne is a qualified life coach based in Westport. She is the founder of Ember Coaching (embercoaching.ie) and can be reached at sadhbh@embercoaching.ie.