The Use of Psychological Safety to Develop Mindful Teams
Build trust and a healthy relationship with your team through the use of psychological safety.
In other cultures, failure is seen as a way to learn. So why do we regard it negatively? When did this occur? People are frequently highly afraid to make mistakes, but think about it: with every new technology, scientific procedure, or as part of our life process, we are making decisions through trial and error. Therefore, I keep in mind what Don Norman said in the following quote:
“Learn Fast and Learn Frequently”
Why? In our field, this quote is a means to challenge our ideas and be ourselves when working with a team since it reminds us that we are constantly learning and that if we don’t want to grow, we will continue to make the same mistakes over and over again.
Google conducted Project Aristotle research a few years ago to see what the major trait was that made some teams more successful than others. Surprisingly, it was neither about money nor technology; they discovered psychological safety.
But What Exactly is Psychological Safety?
Is this the freedom we enjoy when we convey our good or awful ideas, speak our minds, and stand out without fear? Do you have another notion in mind regarding your feelings toward specific teams, projects, or even phases of your professional life? Sadly, yes, because if there had been a more effective means for your team to ensure physical safety, this behavior might have fit the description of imposter syndrome in a way.
This type of belief may be observed not only in our work but also in a broader attitude. Building psychological safety in a team is an ongoing issue for everyone, not just leaders, because we are all highly conscious of managing perceptions in our workplace, and it can be difficult to identify how we are responding on a daily basis.
Building Psychological Safety on a Team
So, whether you are a team member, a leader, or the CEO, here are three simple things to consider:
1. You are Not Your Work
This is so important because sometimes our ideas aren’t the best ones and been open-minded that they might have changes in the future, even because as an employee in a company, you are helping the company. Ask for feedback to become aware of your own blind spots. Recognize your value as a person and know that all the feedback you are receiving is beneficial for the team.
2. Develop a Growth Mindset
If you assume you already know how to solve everything, please take a step back and adopt a learning mentality in which you’re genuinely curious to hear the other person’s point of view. You don’t even know whether there are any other ideas or scenarios you haven’t considered.
3. No Sense of Guilt
Approach the dialogue with open curiosity about the fundamental cause and how to avoid it in the future, rather than attempting to point fingers. This will boost motivation to tackle challenging situations. We don’t know what will happen, but if we are open and able to discuss mistakes, there may be better or more innovative answers.
Key Take Aways
It is easy to notice when there is no collaboration or healthy debate in meetings. But if we create this sense of respect and open-minded behavior, we can even create a less stressful way of working.
Remember that teams are not just people working together on the same project. We all share the same objective and strive to do what is best for the team (I hope so). When we are aware of our surroundings and the way we are approaching people, we can be the change we all want to see from the perspective of our team.
What other behaviors or considerations do you believe will help you maintain a positive relationship with your teammates?
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/28/what-google-learned-in-its-quest-to-build-the-perfect-team.html
