Psychological Safety and Wellness

Workplace well-being is no longer a nice to have; workplace well-being is a need to have. In fact, Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General, has identified workplace well-being as a public health issue!

In setting the priorities for his office, Dr. Murthy wrote that, “We can build workplaces that are engines of well-being, showing workers that they matter, that their work matters, and that they have the workplace resources and support necessary to flourish.”

What would it look like for your workplace to be an engine of well-being? What would it feel like if everyone in your organization knew that they mattered, and that their work mattered? And where in the world do we even start?

Dozens of research studies would say you start with psychological safety. Dr. Amy Edmonson, a Harvard Professor and author of Fearless Organizations, describes psychological safety as, “a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes, and that the team is safe for inter-personal risk-taking.”

Psychological safety is an important piece of workplace well-being and provides the foundation for individuals to thrive at work.

But how exactly do we build psychologically safe workplaces? The Center for Creative Leadership offers eight ideas, including:

1. Make psychological safety an explicit priority.
2. Facilitate everyone speaking up.
3. Establish norms for how failure is handled.
4. Create space for new ideas.
5. Embrace productive conflict.
6. Pay close attention and look for patterns.
7. Make an intentional effort to promote dialogue.
8. Celebrate wins.

The most successful organizations understand the importance of psychological safety and provide the skills and training needed to build and sustain psychological safety at work. As you review the list of eight suggestions above, where might you start?

Building and nurturing psychological safety at work takes time and effort but it’s worth it. In fact, our wellness at work depends on it.

Amy Leneker is an optimistic, joy-seeking, recovering workaholic. She is also a Leadership Consultant, a Certified Dare to Lead Facilitator, and a self-proclaimed public service nerd. Amy spent over 20 years working for the State of Washington, including six years working for the Washington State Legislature. While working for the Legislature, Amy earned her Master of Public Administration with a focus on public policy and leadership development. She is a first-generation college student and is the happiest when she is learning (and laughing) alongside others. Amy and her husband have two wonderful kiddos, two wacky dogs, and zero guinea pigs despite her daughter’s PowerPoint presentation on why they couldn’t live without one. They make their home in the Pacific Northwest. Learn more at TheLenekerTeam.com.