In 2015 Google published the results of a two-year study into what makes a great team successful. Hiring the best brains, setting them clear objectives and giving them meaningful work were obviously key, but the factor at the very top of the list may surprise you. It was psychological safety.
Psychological Safety is ‘a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes.’ Amy Edmondson, Harvard Business School.
Like Google, Amy Edmondson (who developed the concept) found that teams which made more mistakes were actually more successful. Creating an environment in which people feel comfortable to take risks and occasionally mess up is key to fostering innovation and ultimately higher performance. Managers want people to step out of their comfort zone. To do that they have to trust that they won’t get punished for making mistakes or highlighting possible icebergs. Not only will they not be punished, they are positively encouraged to step up and speak up.
Here’s how to build a climate of psychological safety in your team:
1. Open communication channels. Stay tuned in to your team’s progress with regular check-ins (not check-ups), so people know you will listen to them if they have a problem. When you have a moment, walk round the floor and ask ‘how’s it going?’ Look and listen, ask open questions. You are encouraging people to take responsibility and to talk through where they are at with their work. Really listen to them, rather than just waiting to talk yourself. Ask yourself if your point is essential or if you can keep it to yourself. You usually can. You are building their trust, not your ego.
2. Never mock or be cynical. Genuinely encourage ideas and never criticise quirky contributions in meetings. Sarcastic comments like ‘that’s certainly one idea, any others?’ gets cheap laughs but shuts down creativity and trust. Be open to ideas that don’t match your own.
3. Set a meeting etiquette. Meetings are where psychological safety is really on display. Set respectful boundaries – everyone’s voice is heard, we look at the person speaking (my bugbear), we don’t interrupt each other, no phones. Teach active listening techniques.
4. Deal with problems head on. Don’t shy away from bad news. Get as much accurate information as possible, analyse the causes, fix the problem and collectively change the process moving forward. Show the team how to learn from failure and look for learnings. Our best times at work are when we are overcoming challenges and learning.
5. Don’t get personal, keep it all about work not personalities. Don’t have favourites, share gossip or be overtly political. Focus on the delivery of work to the highest possible standards and people’s contribution. Be objective. Give feedback on behaviours and performance, not traits.
6. Acknowledge your own mistakes and vulnerabilities. Lead by example here as ever. You are fallible too. Ask ‘can you just double-check the facts for me so I don’t miss anything.’ ‘What am I not seeing now that will be obvious by the end of the project?’ ‘What are my blind spots on this?’
Here’s how not to do it:
When I had my very first job in recruitment I was sent off for training to the head office in Crawley with two other relative newbies. When we returned to our own office our Manager was quite literally waiting at the doorway, ready to berate us for ‘admitting there were things you didn’t know’. ‘Never, ever, do that again’, she spat, clearly having already been called and told off herself because we had gaps in our knowledge. Two weeks into the job and the trust was gone for good. They spent a fortune on international conferences, company cars and incentives but if they’d simply developed a climate of openness they’d have got way more out of us.
I hope this article is helpful, as ever feel free to share it.
Leaders: If you really want to discover the true temperature of trust in your organisation why not add this question to your appraisal forms: Do you always feel that your Manager has your back?
Contact me if you would like coaching or training or a keynote:
www.zenaeverett.com
zena@zenaeverett.com
Further Reading: Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Handbook of Silicon Valley’s Bill Campbell, by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg and Alan Eagle.