Psychological Safety Insights: 5 Ways Global Leaders can Grow Better Teams

In today’s increasingly interdependent business world, technology allows organizations to connect and operate across borders with ease. Executives have even greater access to resources, talent, and customers worldwide. At the same time, leaders up and down the corporate structure have had to up their efforts to grow and adapt to the new global paradigm.?

What many leaders don’t have in this new environment – particularly when managing across nations and regions – is access to accurate information on the challenges their employees face. A leader at a corporate headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, for example, can’t easily interpret what employees at their factory in Mexico or China face each day. Similarly, a senior executive in Raleigh, North Carolina, might need insight into what is happening with teams in France, India, or Australia.?

Using its data science and reach across 116,000 companies, 200 countries and territories, and care for more than 79 million people, Workplace Options (WPO) released the “WPO Psychological Safety Study: Global Context for Organizational Success ,” a multimedia content hub that puts psychological safety at the center of employee well-being and engagement. The study focuses on employee challenges in nine countries: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Mexico, United Kingdom, and United States.?

PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY STUDY

The study’s focus on psychological safety reflects its pivotal importance in a host of culture-based outcomes, from organizational efficiency to team collaboration and innovation. And, because the data is derived from actual employee discussions with WPO clinicians, leaders can be confident that the study accurately details the top workplace issues in each country.???

The “WPO Psychological Safety Study” reveals the following key points:?

• Psychological safety and employee engagement are interconnected. Employees who feel psychologically secure are more likely to exhibit higher levels of commitment, motivation, and initiative. Empowerment fosters an environment where individuals feel emboldened to contribute ideas, voice concerns, and collaborate with peers, ultimately fueling innovation and productivity.

• There is a significant correlation between psychological safety and bottom-line business outcomes. Organizations that prioritize psychological safety tend to experience enhanced levels of employee retention, customer satisfaction, and overall profitability.?

• Psychological safety depends on proactive leadership initiatives. Leaders must exemplify behaviors that promote openness, trust, and inclusion. Prioritizing transparent communication, soliciting feedback, and fostering an environment of psychological safety enables employees to feel secure in taking risks, exploring innovative solutions, and fostering personal growth.

• Global trends and variances in psychological safety exist across diverse cultural contexts. While fundamental principles of psychological safety remain universal, understanding cultural nuances is paramount. Acknowledging unique challenges and opportunities within different teams helps leaders tailor strategies to fit each situation.?

5 STEPS FOR CREATING PSYCHOLOGICALLY SAFE WORKPLACES

For many leaders, even senior-level executives, the focus on psychological safety is difficult enough, but it’s intensified by the global nature of today’s work world. For those who are trying to identify ways to cultivate psychological safety at home or with colleagues abroad, here are five actionable steps:?

1. Lead by example: Demonstrate empathy, humility, and vulnerability to set the tone for psychological safety within the organization.
2. Prioritize communication: Establish channels for open dialogue and transparent communication, ensuring employees have access to necessary information and avenues for feedback.
3. Encourage innovation: If you want to win in the new economy, you must actively construct a culture that celebrates risk-taking and innovation, which empowers employees to explore new ideas and approaches.
4. Invest in well-being: Support holistic well-being programs through wellness initiatives, mental health resources, and flexible work arrangements.
5. Continuous evaluation: Regularly solicit feedback and assess key metrics related to psychological safety to gauge progress and identify areas for improvement.

It is as if the world is spinning faster, but leaders can ground their efforts to grow employee engagement through psychologically safe workplaces. By prioritizing psychological safety and creating a culture where employees feel valued, respected, and empowered, leaders across an organization can unleash the full potential of their teams and drive sustainable success in a globally competitive business environment.