Psychological safety for more inclusion in the workplace

Mental health has been on employers' radar in recent years. Many companies have realized that their employees cannot perform well in the long term if they are constantly under pressure, their work-life balance is not actually balanced, and, in the worst case, they end up burned out. They are more aware that many people enjoy working from home or being able to organize their day flexibly. Some offer mindfulness training or coaching or work with psychological counselors. That's a positive development, of course – but one thing still seems to concern employees, namely psychological safety. We see this regularly in workshops: everyone understands what discrimination means, how microaggressions work, how conflicts arise... but no one really manages to address them. 

• “I'd like to speak up, but it would mean criticising my boss.”

• “If I comment on this every time it happens, I'll be seen as a spoilsport.”

• “We've tried addressing it several times, but we don't want to escalate things too much.”

This is rarely because these people are poor communicators. In most cases, the real problem is that they don't feel psychologically safe in their workplace. 

What exactly is psychological safety?

“Psychological safety” means: I know that I am allowed to make mistakes and ask for help. I can be myself, have a bad day sometimes, and don't have to hide and “function” until I burn out. Conversely, I can express criticism and address other people's misconduct without fear of negative consequences. A workplace where everyone feels psychologically safe is characterized by trust, transparency, and goodwill.

This does not mean that psychological insecurity only prevails where structures are hierarchical, authoritarian, or extremely performance-oriented. Admittedly, the two are often related: Where managers rule rather than lead and “profit before people” is the motto, the working atmosphere rarely allows mindfulness and compassion. Rather, criticism is unconstructive, feedback is only given top-down (if at all), and anyone who asks for help or misses a deadline is considered dead weight. But even organizations that value flat hierarchies and friendly interaction with one another can easily fall into this trap.

“We’re one big happy work family!”

Because although it's okay to make mistakes or ask for help in these kinds of companies, criticism is avoided. Not out of fear of consequences, but out of fear of embarrassing or hurting the person being criticized, disrupting the harmony in the team, and creating “unnecessary” conflicts. Positive feedback is highly valued, while negative feedback is avoided as much as possible. This is particularly difficult because such companies see themselves as a place where everyone can feel comfortable, but they don't always understand that “feeling comfortable” does not mean “never having any conflicts.” In the worst case, this can even turn into toxic positivity, where from the outside it looks like everything is perfect, while on the inside, employees are afraid of stepping out of line.

Psychological safety does not mean conflict avoidance.

In other words, the circumstances may be opposite, but the result—a lack of psychological safety—is ultimately the same.

Psychological safety is also a diversity issue

This is already a problem in homogeneous teams, but it becomes even more difficult when diversity comes into play. This is because marginalized people often lack even the basic psychological safety that is completely normal for the majority. They have to adapt, be a “model minority,” because when they need help, make mistakes, or receive criticism, it often reflects not only on themselves, but all other people of their gender, race, or orientation: The one woman on the team messed up? We should have known, it's a man's job after all. Your Black co-worker raises his voice? Wow, why are these people always so aggressive?

And here, too, the reverse can be true: if everyone is already very aware of discrimination and trying very hard to be inclusive, they may not dare to criticize marginalized colleagues for fear of discriminating against them. Ultimately, this also leads to marginalised people being reduced to their “otherness”, but that fact is easily lost on those trying to do well.

Balancing honesty and tact is key

Psychological safety is always a bit of a balancing act—don’t walk on eggshells, but also don’t be brutally honest no matter who gets hurt. Be forgiving of mistakes, but don't shy away from conflict. Leave room for different needs and communication styles, but also set boundaries. This cannot be achieved overnight, nor can it be imposed from the top down; it is a negotiation process that everyone must engage in.

Nevertheless, there are some things managers can do to strengthen psychological safety in their team.

• Lead by example. Managers set the tone, and this is especially true when it comes to creating a safe working environment. Those who are honest, admit mistakes, show “weakness,” and value criticism send the message that this is not only okay, but desirable—regardless of your role, even at the top. Tip: As a manager, proactively seeking feedback and encouraging (constructive!) criticism helps you communicate on an equal footing and strengthen the feeling of security.

• Normalize constructive criticism and negative feedback. This does not mean that you should look for more things to criticise. Rather, it means that it should be normal to share when something is not going well or does not feel right—whether in relation to the work itself or to interpersonal relationships. In a psychologically safe environment, everyone feels comfortable sharing negative feelings because they know that these will be valued and taken seriously. This kind of trust takes time to develop. You can strengthen it through formats such as “Fuck-up Friday,” relevant questions in check-ins or feedback, etc.

• Strengthen the culture of discussion. It doesn't always have to be feedback—an open culture of discussion can also strengthen trust. Because when honest discussion is encouraged, it signals to employees: It's okay to have differing opinions sometimes; we can still be friendly and work constructively with each other. Brainstorming methods in which team members take on different roles, or informal exchange formats that explicitly invite discussion, are good ways to practice this. (However, make sure to keep an eye on the tone to ensure that it remains respectful and that no one takes up too much space.)

Psychological safety is not a method, it’s an attitude. If you manage to live it in your everyday working life and convey it to your employees and colleagues, you will create a workplace where mistakes can be made and discussed—and thus lose their terror. Because mistakes happen and conflicts can never be completely avoided; the trick is to deal with them mindfully together.