THE IMPORTANCE OF ALLOWING YOUR TEAM TO FAIL

I believe we all come to work to do the best job we possibly can.

We want to dream big and achieve a lot.

But, so often, our performance is hamstrung by fear that’s created by poor leaders and an unhealthy culture.?

And, whilst none of us wants to admit it, sometimes we are the poor leader or contributing to a culture of fear.

So why do so many of us let fear get in the way?

Recently I was in a coaching session with a client who’s a producer for a large TV production company. Moments into our call, she burst into tears and told me, "I just feel like I am always failing. I’m terrified of making a mistake, because I know everyone is watching me."

As we spoke, she recounted a recent crisis meeting with the company’s CEO which had left her, and the wider team, in a state of decision paralysis, feeling creatively stunted, and crippled by a fear of failure.

The CEO had called the meeting to express disappointment with current ratings, and concerns about the current quality of output, reminding the team of the company's (in my opinion, very problematic) mantra - “You’re only as good as your last episode”.

No pressure, there, huh?!

He'd encouraged the team to dig deep, lift their creative game, and take risks in order innovate. Then, in the next breath, stipulated that there was no room for error, and there would be "no second chances this time".?

Talk about paradoxical messaging, and a sure-fire way of terrifying your team.

How can people be expected to take creative risks and innovate when they’re scared for their jobs?

The answer is, they simply can’t.

Whilst the CEO’s intention had obviously been to inspire the team to band together and deliver a resounding commercial success, his “war cry” had failed to galvanise the troops.?

Instead, as shown by my client's distress, the team was left in a state of stress, overwhelm and despair. They felt like they’d been set up to fail, that the show they cared so much about was at risk, and so were their jobs.

It may sound like an extreme example, but I see versions of this behaviour in organisations all of the time.

And the thing about any behaviour is that it’s catchy – good leadership ripples out – and so does bad.

As Leaders, we’re always striving to hit that golden ratio of risk and innovation, leading to growth and high performance. But the reality is, this type of innovation culture can’t exist if we allow no room for failure.

Put simply, people need to feel like it’s safe for them to fail if you want them to take a risk and try.

Making sure this exists at every level of your business is key to cultivating an innovative, high-growth culture.

It’s also one of the key pillars of a psychologically safe workplace.

WHAT IS A PSYCHOLOGICALLY SAFE WORKPLACE?

The concept of “Psychological Safety” was first introduced by Harvard Business Professor, Amy Edmondson. She defines Psychological Safety as "a climate in which people are comfortable being (and expressing) themselves." Edmondson's research has consistently shown that psychological safety directly correlates with workplace satisfaction and performance.

In teams that foster psychological safety, members are empowered to take calculated risks, freely express their opinions, unleash their creativity, and engage in experimentation, all without the haunting fear of criticism or the stigma of failure.

I know what you're thinking..."Wow, this is exactly how I want the people within my organisation to feel, but between deadlines and pressures - there's just not enough time to focus on this stuff."

But there is the risk...

Psychological safety in the workplace isn’t just some utopian ideal that sounds good in theory - it’s an absolute necessity for any company’s long-term success, staff retention, and most importantly – innovation and growth.

WHY YOUR ORGANISATION NEEDS TO BE PSYCHOLOGICALLY SAFE

One of the fastest ways to erode productivity, morale and engagement is cultivating a workplace where your people don’t feel safe to speak up.

If team members don’t feel able to ask questions about their work, it increases the potential for errors.

If people are blamed and shamed for making mistakes, it reduces the likelihood they will admit to errors in the future.

If a team cannot share openly, they have less opportunity to learn and grow together.

As Leaders, it's our responsibility to cultivate an environment where our team members feel comfortable being honest about their experiences.

We have to support people in sharing their opinions and concerns, and not punish them when they do.

And we have to build a culture that encourages risk taking and accepts that failure is all part of the journey.

When we create space for open dialogue and vulnerability, we're able to identify areas where we can improve as individuals and as a team.

These are the cultures that create change and drive innovation and excellence.

SO HOW DO YOU FOSTER A PSYCHOLOGICALLY SAFE WORKPLACE?

Fostering a psychologically safe working environment isn't something that just magically happens on its own. Just like anything meaningful, it's something that needs to be built, and cultivated, with intention, over time.

Below are some ways you can start to build a culture of psychological safety within your organisation: