The Right to Psychological Safety

After the turmoil of the Covid-19 pandemic, the desire to transform workplaces into understanding environments that make space for empathy and treat the employee as a holistic individual rather than a cog in the machine emerged. Out of this new wave of compassion in workplace, the phrase ‘psychological safety’ emerged. A few years later, psychological safety is one of the most talked-about trends in L&D.

Employees now expect psychological safety, and if your workplace doesn’t prioritize it, you risk employee disengagement that leads to lower productivity. The psychologically safe workplace ensures employees feel empowered to express their opinions, take risks, and make mistakes without fear of repercussions. The factors that comprise psychological safety in the workplace are complex, but multiple crucial components stand out:

Transparency and Communication: The workplace culture encourages active listening and open communication.

Empathetic Leadership: Leaders are understanding of the challenges employees face and give constructive feedback.

Cohesion and Collaboration: All employees are encouraged to share ideas and work together, building social and communal environment.

Rejecting Perfectionism: Leaders recognize that employees can and will make mistakes and help turn failures into learning experiences.

Psychological safety has become so enshrined in today’s discourse that many are taking steps to codify it as a basic human right in the workplace. Activist group End Workplace Abuse is lobbying to pass The Workplace Psychological Safety Act, which “provides a cause of action for employees who suffer from workplace psychological abuse,” according to the group. The act strives to protect employees against bullying and mobbing in the workplace and would require employers to “employers to acknowledge, monitor, detect, prevent, discourage, and adequately address incidences of psychological abuse.”

The future of psychological safety is clear – it’s going to be a key component of every competitive workplace and may even become a legal requirement. In the meantime, it’s important for L&D practitioners to foster psychological safety within their organizations.

Attend Corporate Learning Week Atlanta, from October 7-9th, 2024 to collaborate and learn about building a psychologically safe workplace.