How to Remove the No.1 Destroyer of Great Teamwork

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What if I told you that teamwork success is predicated on having a corporate climate that does not ridicule, silence, or intimidate the steady flow of new ideas, questions from left field, the expression of critical thinking or out loud brainstorming, but?allows for such things to be a key?part of the creative process?

What if I said that, in thriving work cultures, actual mistakes?are owned and corrected, and people's opinions and input in lower ranks matter to the point where they?may be considered for a new product?

Does such a work environment sound too good to be true? Maybe you work in one right now and are nodding your head in agreement, "Yep, that's our culture."

Whatever the case, this premise can be described in two crucial words:

Psychological safety.

The Antidote to a Fear-Based Organization

In research conducted for her classic book, The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth, Amy C. Edmondson,?the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, found that psychological safety is the antidote to toxic, fear-based management structures still so prevalent today.

Edmondson?describes psychological safety as a belief that an employee can bring their full self to work. It's a sense that their voice will be welcomed and not be humiliated if they speak up about work-relevant issues or raise?questions, concerns, and even mistakes.?

The reason this is so important today is because we live in a world in which knowledge,?insight and expertise are the currency and?the source of value creation in most industries.

In other words, if I possess knowledge but refrain from using or expressing it for some reason, then its value is lost.

Not only that but people who do?speak out in ways that threaten hierarchy and authority?are typically fired. In turn, fear is costly as talent, knowledge and expertise are?lost.?

The issue with fear is that it hinders learning and cooperation and promotes a culture of silence. Conversely, creating a psychologically safe environment leads to increased learning, performance, and improved well-being for employees.

Putting Psychological Safety to Work

There are plenty of strategies leaders and managers can implement right now to increase psychological safety in their respective teams and organizations, including:

• Changing the way they view failure, seeing it as a chance to learn and grow rather than something to shame others for or be ashamed of.
• Emphasize?why "voice" (elimination of fear to contribute) is important, and remind?people of "why what they do matters."
• Learn to become "don't knowers" who practice?humble listening to probe and find out what others are seeing and thinking.
• Sincerely express?appreciation for contributions by others.
• Accept the notion that fear has no place in the workplace. When necessary, take action against behaviors within the organization that increase fear.

Your turn: Has psychological safety worked for you, your team, or your organization? Share in the comments how such a work environment has helped with productivity, performance, engagement, and retention.

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About Marcel Schwantes

Marcel Schwantes is a global speaker, executive leadership coach, author, podcast host, and syndicated columnist with a worldwide following. Follow him on Substack for articles, videos, leadership strategies, and more.