Why Psychological Safety Is The New Pathway to DEIB

The modern workplace is a melting pot of diverse individuals, each bringing their unique perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds to the table. However, many organizations find themselves stuck in a cycle of pseudo-inclusion, where diversity exists, but true inclusion remains out of reach.

While diversity initiatives focus on representation, and equity seeks to level the playing field and belonging, the feeling of being truly accepted and valued often lags behind. This is where psychological safety comes in as the crucial missing ingredient and the new pathway to achieving genuine Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB).

So, What is Psychological Safety??

Think about when you felt totally at ease sharing your ideas or opinions without worrying about what others might think. That's psychological safety—the sense that you can be yourself, make mistakes, and learn from them without repercussions.??

The term psychological safety was coined by Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson and is defined as "a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes."

In psychologically safe environments, individuals feel free to express their authentic selves, contribute their best work, and engage in constructive conflict. There's a fundamental belief that nobody ever really "arrives," but they're always in forward motion, with room to improve, refine, and push beyond what we thought was possible.

If You Build It, They Will Come (and Excel): The Impact of Psychological Safety?

The benefits of psychological safety are well-documented. Go inside Google's wildly ambitious Project Aristotle, and you'll discover that the teams charting the highest course are where everyone feels safe to voice their thoughts and opinions. Organizations with high levels of psychological safety are more likely to:

• Increase employee engagement: Employees who feel safe are more likely to be engaged and committed to their work. Research by Gallup reveals a staggering fact: companies with engaged employees blow their competition out of the water, thriving at a rate 202% higher than those who fail to inspire their teams.?
• Boost innovation and creativity: In an atmosphere of unspoken acceptance, the creative floodgates open wide, spilling out vibrant thoughts and unbridled enthusiasm. A study by McKinsey found that companies with inclusive cultures are 35% more likely to outperform their competitors.?
• Reduce errors and improve performance: In psychologically safe environments, people are more likely to report mistakes and near misses, leading to improved learning and risk mitigation. A research-backed truth: medical teams that feel safe sharing their concerns and ideas are more likely to catch potential errors before they happen.?
• Enhance decision-making: Diverse perspectives are more likely to be shared and considered in a psychologically safe environment, leading to better-informed decisions.?

Everyone Can't Swim: Using Psychological Safety as a Starting Place

Most DEIB initiatives can feel like asking people to jump in the ocean when they don't even know how to swim. Psychological safety allows you to start in the shallow end of the pool instead of jumping head-first into the deep end.

Individuals need to feel safe being themselves, expressing their opinions, and contributing fully to feel included. By allowing your team members to talk to each other, get to know each other, and build a safe community, you're creating the bedrock of inclusion and belonging.

Diversity initiatives may fall flat without psychological safety, and equity efforts may not translate into genuine belonging. As a leader, you have the power to shape this environment and foster psychological safety.

Suppose underrepresented team members feel hesitant to speak up in meetings for fear of being dismissed or stereotyped, or an employee with a disability feels uncomfortable requesting accommodations due to fear of being perceived as less capable. In that case, they won't trust DEIB efforts and initiatives. A lack of psychological safety can flat-out sabotage your inclusion efforts, going against your best intentions and undoing all your hard work.

Keep in mind that not everyone can swim. When you allow people to get into the shallow end of the pool and at least learn to tread water, you'll have a better chance of making your DEIB efforts enjoyable and flourishing instead of potentially causing casualties.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road: Psychological Safety as a Pathway

Edmondson's work around psychological safety provides a pathway to your DEIB work, but it's not a replacement.

It's crucial to emphasize that psychological safety is not a substitute for robust DEIB policies and strategies. Without this vital element, policies and strategies are just words on paper—it's the spark that brings them to life.

When this takes hold, vibrant communities will spring up, filled with individuals who feel valued, respected, and heard—people connecting on a deep level and driving progress together.

4 Narrative Shifts to Enhance Psychological Safety?

1. Avoid Stranger Danger:

Remember your parents telling you not to speak to strangers? Psychological safety gives you time to connect and build relationships before you go deep. Honest dialogue begins with creating spaces welcoming varying perspectives, actively shared ideas, and genuine humility, where leaders courageously illustrate their fallibility. When we actively listen and engage, healthy disagreements arise, people's viewpoints are clarified, and our understanding of the issue becomes more richly layered.?

2. Show, Not Tell:

Growing up, we learned by watching our family and friends and often sought to emulate our parents' behaviors. Trust and respect are cornerstones of psychological safety. Imagine walking into a meeting where the leader actively listens, empathizes, and shows genuine respect for every individual - it's a game-changer, and a psychologically safe haven is born. Inclusive environments thrive when everyone's strengths are recognized and their contributions are cherished. Actively calling out microaggressions and biases helps create a space where everyone feels seen and respected.??

3. "No one makes it on their first jump:"

Do you remember when Neo was learning to leap across buildings in The Matrix? While the others looking on believed he should be successful on his first try because he was "the One," someone commented that "no one makes it on their first jump." He was right; he didn't make it, but that was okay. Give your team the ultimate green light to test the impossible, learn from setbacks, and develop a sense of ownership that fuels innovation and progress within reason, of course. Leaders can foster this by normalizing failure, supporting experimentation, and celebrating learning from setbacks.?

4. It's All in the Family:

Leaders can promote allyship by encouraging employees to actively support and advocate for one another. In a workplace where everyone matters, we confront discriminatory behavior head-on, sponsor aspiring leaders from underrepresented groups, and meticulously cultivate a culture of mutual respect and open doors.?

Conclusion

It's simple: leaders who prioritize their people's well-being and creativity are rewarded with a cohesive team that strives for excellence and confidently brings their A-game to every project. As a result, you're left with an authentic, empathetic, and supportive workplace culture where every individual can be themselves and thrive. Leaders play a crucial role in fostering this culture by setting the tone and modeling the desired behaviors using psychological safety to create policies and change behaviors as the new pathway to DEIB.

About Dr. Carol Parker Walsh, JD, PhD

Dr. Carol Parker Walsh is an expert in transformative leadership and human development and has been recognized with multiple awards for her profound impact on human-centered leadership. As the CEO and founder of Carol Parker Walsh Consulting Group, her firm specializes in leadership development, executive coaching, psychological safety, and training. She partners with organizations to cultivate a culture that accelerates human potential and leadership capabilities and drives future organizational success.?Her firm recently won the coveted Brandon Hall Group Human Capital Management Excellence Bronze Award for its work in psychological safety.