At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the gymnast pulled out of several events due to suffering from the twisties – a dangerous loss of the sense of space and dimension while in the air.īiles clearly felt secure in the support of her team, enough to face this difficult conversation. Simone Biles gives us an important example of someone in a very high-profile role feeling confident that their wellbeing will be prioritised. As a Totaljobs survey notes, in 2021 43% of trans employees said they had left a job due to an unwelcoming environment. Misgendering oand other trans-exclusionary behaviour can lead to reduced morale and productivity, and ultimately loss of talent. But it’s vitally important they feel empowered to do so. So if something is preventing them from doing that, they’ll know they’ll be supported in talking about it.įor example, a trans person who does not feel that their wellbeing is a priority might fear having a conversation about their gender identity. In fact, they understand that you can’t be the most productive, innovative version of yourself if you feel unable to bring your full self to work. People in psychologically safe teams know that they matter not just as workers, but as people. Prioritising wellbeing and long-term productivity Especially when factoring in neurodiversity, the context and setting of an important conversation can mean the difference between an uncomfortable and unsatisfactory exchange, and a genuinely fearless conversation. It’s important as a leader to enable as many modes of communication as possible. Or it might even be an exchange over email, Slack or another text-based service. It might be a one-on-one chat, in person, over the phone or on a video call. Of course, a conversation can look like many things. They just want to know you’ll listen, admit when you need more information, and be as sympathetic as possible. Someone coming to you with a problem or personal issue probably doesn’t expect you to be an instant expert on the topic. Showing you’ll really listen is so important to facilitating candid conversations. Being in a leadership role doesn’t mean you’re suddenly omniscient! Show vulnerability, too – if you don’t understand something, ask about it. In a group discussion, show you’re really paying attention by asking relevant questions, and referring back to things team members have previously said. Demonstrating active listening on a daily basis is so important in combatting this fear. Often, people are afraid to discuss serious issues with their managers because they worry they won’t understand, or will judge them. The stakes are lower, but the general shape of the conversation is the same, which prepares both leaders and team members for dealing with tougher problems. Having these regular chats, whether as a team or in smaller groups, exercises the same mental muscles you’ll need for those bigger, scarier conversations. These provide great opportunities to develop a team culture of open conversations, one of the key tenets of psychological safety. But on a day-to-day basis, all kinds of smaller problems come up. Often, we need to have candid conversations in order to address one specific big issue. So, let’s dig into how psychological safety – which Amy Edmondson defined in The Fearless Organization – enables fearless conversations. But what it will do is equip your team members better to deal with them, and give them confidence that their candour will be worthwhile. These sorts of topics are always tough to deal with. I wouldn’t want to suggest that instilling psychological safety in your team or organisation will make these conversations easy. Tackling problems like this requires having tough, honest conversations. Or it might be that an issue in your personal life means you can’t work in the same way for a while. Perhaps a coworker is treating you badly. No matter where you work, you’ll come up against problems.
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