Safety: How Do You Build It?

How would the people in your office, business or team label their working relationships – as a working relationship or a colleague, or would they use a deeper more personal term like friendship or family?

Many successful groups have adopted the term and perspective of “family” which undergirds their relationships with safety and security. Safety is built from the ground up and interwoven into the very fabric of great teams.

Given this, what are some key identifiers that you have a safe culture and environment? Below are a few:

1. Intense active listening (with few interruptions and copious amounts of eye contact)
2. Frequent physical contact (high fives, fist bumps, a subtle touch on the arm or shoulder, hugs, handshakes, etc.)
3. Meetings take place in close proximity to each other (most times in circles)
4. Lots of questions – people desire to first understand rather than be understood
5. Laughter, smiling and telling stories
6. Attentive courtesies’: “Thank you,” “Please,” opening doors, and other small acts of service.

This week pay close attention to your work relationships. If they are more colleagues, then how can you move closer to becoming friends or even family?