What is the most important ingredient for high performing team?

One of my direct reports shared their plans to leave the team and go to school six months in advance. That allowed my team to prepare and plan a smooth transition with zero impact to our stakeholders. I believe having psychological safety played a critical role in allowing team members to share their plans without fear or negative consequence.

Psychological safety is the belief that one can express themselves without fear of negative consequences to their self-image, status or career. A sense of belonging in a team refers to the feeling of being a valued and integral part of the team. It is the sense that one is accepted, supported, and connected to the other members of the team

Building psychological safety in a team requires intentional effort from the team leader and team members. Here are some of the strategies that worked for my team in building psychological safety -

• Make new team members feel welcome and included. Introduce them to team members and stakeholders. Assign a buddy from outside the core team when possible to help build new connections and ask questions in safe space.
• Create a Safe Space. Make sure that team members feel comfortable speaking up without fear of negative consequences. Encourage questions, disagreements, and dissenting opinions. Emphasize that it is okay to make mistakes and that failure is a part of the learning process.
• Genuinely care for every team members. Understand their complete self and show support in good times and bad times, show support for team members wellbeing.?
• Encourage Open Communication. Create opportunities for team members to share their thoughts, ideas, and concerns. Encourage active listening and respect for different perspectives. Consider having regular team meetings where everyone has the opportunity to speak and contribute.
• Role model the behaviors that you want to see in your team. Show vulnerability, admit your mistakes, and encourage open communication. This can help to create a culture of psychological safety.
• Recognize and Reward Contributions. Acknowledge and celebrate team members' contributions to the team's success. This can help to build trust, increase motivation, and promote a sense of belonging.

A sense of belonging and psychological safety is important for high-performing teams because it leads to increased engagement, better collaboration, improved communication, higher retention rates, and increased innovation. It requires creating a culture of open communication, feedback, respect, and growth. It needs active participation and support of the team leader and team members. By promoting psychological safety, teams can become more engaged, collaborative, and innovative, which can lead to greater success.