The Resources Group (TRG) posted a blog earlier about Colin Seitz’s first experiences in a psychologically safe environment. Surprisingly, it was on a Navy ship with various military groups and rankings debriefing late at night after a training mission. This experience was pivotal to Colin realizing how important it is to create a culture where people feel empowered to provide input and make decisions. This enables teams to learn, grow, and change for the better, so how can we create a similar environment of psychological safety in the corporate world?
Below are a few key things organizations can focus on when providing an environment of growth and empowerment.
Lead with inquiry
Genuine curiosity goes a long way. Some of the best leaders gather information through questions and don’t know the answers before asking them. Forming an opinion or decision and leading is much better when you come at a problem from an inquiry position rather than dominating it with overwrought direction and decisiveness. Additionally, an inquiry approach creates an environment to invite different perspectives, giving everyone a seat at the table with a voice.
Contracting how we work together
At TRG, we have learned and practiced contracting and Peter Block’s view of consulting. Contracting plays a significant role in how we work with clients. We establish working agreements on how we work together. Contracting and re-contracting can be iterative, as new information is revealed that brings changing outcomes, approaches, or timelines. Contracting is important for interpersonal relationships as well. It helps us set up guidelines, boundaries, and expectations for giving and receiving feedback.
Don’t avoid conflict
Conflict is also an important factor of high-performing teams and groups. Organizational Psychologist Adam Grant mentioned in a recent interview, “[t]he absence of conflict is not harmony, it’s apathy. If you’re in a group where people never disagree, the only way that could really happen is if people don’t care enough to speak their minds.”
A hallmark of collaborative teams is their ability to work through task conflict or differences without the conflict extending to relationship conflict. Contracting around how people work through differences in their infancy is a form of contracting and re-contracting. Doing so enables high-performing teams to have healthy task conflicts without engaging in destructive relationship conflict.
Language matters
Researcher Brené Brown says, “the limit of my language is the limit of my world.” Language is critical when communicating what you’re thinking and how you’re feeling. It’s important to be aware of your language and how others perceive it. And remember, opinions are rarely asked for but are often said anyways.
Consider how your language is received when providing feedback or presenting a new idea. Instead of saying “I wouldn’t do it that way” or “that’s not a good idea,” rephrase your position with “have you considered this approach?” or consider asking “what if?” Genuine curiosity and empowerment are essential; asking a question with an embedded “right answer” is a leading question and won’t cut it. Questions need to be rooted in curiosity.
Furthermore, if you don’t believe that the person you are asking may have a different opinion or perspective, one of the two people in the situation is in the wrong role. The power of collaboration has been proven repeatedly throughout history—why not take advantage of it? Of course, without safety, it is likely only a select few, often the same ones will be the only ones speaking up.
Follow through with work-life balance
Work-life balance has been a buzzword for the last few years. It’s ignited the Great Resignation, and it’s something companies need to focus on and prioritize. For example, at TRG, we say when you’re on vacation, you unplug—no checking email, taking meetings, or doing work. We know who is out and ensure we have coverage, so the team does not bother the valuable time away from work.
Organizational Culture, essentially “how things get done around here,” often takes root from the behaviors, mindsets, and actions of leadership. Most employees understand that their leaders are the ones who can shape their future. So, much of the employee’s attention focuses on ensuring their behavior aligns with their leader’s model. Essentially leaders need to model the culture they want to see in their employees, including supporting a work-life balance.
Closing
Creating the right culture and psychological safety takes a lot of work. It requires leaders to buy in and maybe even get coaching or experiment with new behaviors. Also, what we talked about in this blog are often learned behaviors. It takes time to understand and acclimate to the new mindset. The Resources Group partners with companies and organizations to foster an environment where teams can learn, grow, and most of all thrive. So, if you’re looking to create a culture like this, let’s chat!
