Do You Feel Psychologically Safe? by Marc LeVine
Marc LeVine
Empowering Engineers & Advancing Careers | Talent Acquisition Manager, Blogger, Podcast Guest, Conference Speaker | Hiring those Built to Succeed in Control Systems Engineering for Thermo Systems
“Psychological safety does not mean that you feel comfortable all the time. Psychological safety means you feel comfortable talking about what makes you uncomfortable.” – Esther Derby
Do you feel safe expressing yourself at work? Do you hold off speaking up in the office when you have questions or concerns? How about disagreeing with others you work with?? Do you also have a deadly fear of making mistakes?
Life becomes miserable when you struggle with self-doubt and painful emotions in school or at work. ?It’s stressful when you don’t feel psychologically safe enough to be yourself and interact freely with others, due to the fear of criticism and failure.
Psychological safety means feeling safe enough among our peers to take interpersonal risks that can stem from speaking up in meetings, disagreeing openly with others, and voicing concerns without fear of negative repercussions, which you believe may threaten your job and career.
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When we are in a psychologically safe school or work environment, we are in a place that nurtures us and where people feel encouraged to share creative ideas without fear of being judged unfairly.
In a psychologically safe environment, we feel safe enough to share candid feedback with others, including feedback bosses and others may not prefer to hear about where improvements or changes are needed. ?
Remember that most employers don’t want “YES people” on their teams.? They prefer smart people, who can immediately spot problems and speak up to offer their ideas and possible solutions.
It’s OK to admit mistakes, to be vulnerable, and to speak truth to power. It is not OK to stay in an environment and feal diminished and afraid to be seen and heard from.
When psychological safety is present in the workplace it creates a more innovative, stronger community.
Some of the things that we can do to feel psychologically safe are:
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o?? Be respectful and supportive of each other’s opinions and perspectives, even if they differ from our own.
o?? Encourage open and honest communication and listen actively and empathetically to what others have to say.
o?? Give and receive constructive feedback and use it as an opportunity to learn and improve.
o?? Admit when we don’t know something, or when we make a mistake, and ask for help or clarification when needed.
o?? Celebrate successes and failures as learning experiences, and share our insights and lessons learned with others.
o?? Express appreciation and gratitude for each other’s contributions and efforts.
The best way to feel psychologically safe is to choose a school or business already committed to having a psychologically safe environment and contributing to it by offering the same advice, support, and encouragement that others are offering you and that are embodied within the above listed tips.
The Author
Marc LeVine is a graduate of Syracuse (NY) University with a degree in Industrial Psychology, Marc is currently Talent Acquisitions Manager at Thermo Systems. He is the recipient of the Excellence in Talent Acquisitions Award from HR Awards in 2021.
Marc's prior employment includes senior Human Resources and Staffing Industry management roles with Edgewood Properties in Piscataway, NJ, Brickforce Staffing in Edison, NJ, InfoPro Inc. in Woodbridge NJ and Plainsboro, NJ and Harvard Industries in Farmingdale, NJ, a former Fortune 500 company. He also served as Director of Human Resources for New Jersey Press, the parent company of the Asbury Park Press, Home News and Tribune and WKXW-NJ101.5. Earlier in his career, Marc served as Director of Career Services and Placement at Union Technical Institute in Eatontown and Neptune, NJ. In addition, Marc owned and operated Integrity Consulting Associates, a New Jersey based Human Resources and Social Media Marketing firm for 11 years. Marc also served as Council President in his hometown of Freehold Borough, NJ