From Safety to High Performance — Balancing Comfort and Engagement

Welcome back to The Global Network Insight, your go-to resource for insights and practices in behavioral change, self-development, communication, relationships, and human dynamics! This is Sayaka Kinashi from the BCon Global Network Team.

In our journey to unlock human potential, we often find ourselves balancing the need for safety with the drive for results. In this issue, we dive into how leaders can foster both psychological safety and engagement to create high-performing teams. These insights are designed to help you—our community of leaders, consultants, trainers, and coaches—spark growth and transformation in your teams and clients alike.

From Comfort to High Performance

Have you ever worked in a team that felt safe but failed to reach its full potential? While psychological safety is a vital foundation for team success, it’s not enough on its own. Teams that feel safe but lack engagement can fall into complacency—a state we call the “comfortable club.”

As Amy Edmondson explains in The Fearless Organization:

“Psychological safety isn’t about being nice… nor about lowering performance standards.”

True leadership lies in balancing trust and safety with accountability and motivation.

The Engagement Quadrant: Finding the Balance

In our eBook, Feeling Safe at Work, we explore the intersection of psychological safety and engagement through the Engagement Quadrant:

• High Safety, Low Engagement (Comfortable Club) — These teams feel secure but lack the drive to go above and beyond. This often results from unclear goals, poor job design, or post-merger confusion.
• High Engagement, Low Safety (Anxious Overachievers) — High productivity, but at the cost of trust and well-being.
• Low Safety, Low Engagement (Unproductive Zone) — The least effective teams, marked by disengagement and fear.
• High Safety, High Engagement (Thriving Teams) — The ideal balance, where teams innovate, collaborate, and consistently deliver results.

Teams that achieve psychological safety and engagement unlock their full potential, blending trust with a relentless focus on outcomes.

Ready to Take the Next Step as A Leader?

To guide teams from safety to high performance, leaders must:

• Be Accessible and Open — Foster trust by encouraging honest feedback and emotional availability.
• Set Clear Expectations — Align safety with performance standards to create focus and accountability.
• Adapt and Innovate Continuously — Build a culture of learning and resilience to navigate challenges effectively.

Download our eBook, Feeling Safe at Work, for practical insights and strategies to balance safety and engagement and transform your team into a thriving, high-performing group!

Together, let’s build teams that thrive on trust, innovation, and results.

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