Why a safe space is more than psychological safety

Amy Edmondson called it psychological safety. Simon Sinek called it a safe place. We call it a safe space. Same, same, but different.?

In our leading under pressure model, and with the support of research relating to how important it is to give your team members a voice, I am going to say that a safe space is part of psychological safety, but it is more than that.?

To create a safe space, leaders need firstly to stay in control. It takes only one moment of out-of-control emotions to destroy years of creating trust and credibility as a leader. It takes leaders caring for their teams, not because they are told to, but because they want to. And it takes courage to make the decisions that might be popular, but that are made with the right intent. And of course, psychological safety is part of that. But there is more to it.?

This week, I had a meeting with a business based in the USA. The leader of a 20-person team, in a 14,000-person business, explained what he had managed to create in his team. And it was more than just giving his team a voice, and the ability to share ideas freely. It was deeper than that. It was about the way they communicated with each other. It was the intent of the communication, and it was about how their communication impacted others.??

We discussed the fact that he had created a psychologically safe team. But we took the discussion further than that and unpacked what really happens in his team to help everyone feel safe.?

There were organisational things that business did, like unlimited sick leave and the flexibility of working from home. But it was more about the leader, and his team, and what they all did to foster a safe space. Remember it is a team effort. And because a safe space … any space… is all about communication, and how we interact with other humans, here are the key elements of safe space communication.??

Firstly, have the right intent. That is a given. DO NO HARM. Don’t hurt each other. Help not hurt, heal, not harm.??

Then, give your team members permission to…?

Speak with influence. Part of influence is interpreting the situation. Interpreting the position of the other human and acting accordingly. Influence can’t happen with engagement and information. Information sharing, in a productive way, is influence. And it is not about winning a conversation, it is about influencing someone to share, to feel safe and to act safe. It is listening to understand not respond, and being caring through your wording. Speaking with influence is about communicating with passion.?

Speak with impact. Be honest. Have real conversations. Be robust, with the right intent. Be memorable. Be the person that thinks fast and talks slow. Let silence do the heavy lifting. Be present. Be focused on the other human, and when the conversation is finished, hope that they share what a positive experience it was. Even if you had a tough conversation. Speaking with impact is about communicating on purpose.?

Speak with inspiration. Firstly, make commitments and keep them. Ask for help. Ask for a favour. Craft your call to action. Let people know why you are asking them to come on the journey (humans are quite simple creatures, a lot of the time, they just want to know why). Never leave the site of a meaningful conversation without the accompanying action, and someone to take responsibility for it.?

Psychological safety is about being able to speak up. A safe space is also about control, care factor, and courage. And giving people more than a voice to speak with ideas – giving them permission to speak with influence, impact and inspiration.?

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About Anton Guinea

Leaders struggle with their mental health, too... Often finding it difficult to lead under pressure.

Anton is an entrepreneur, speaker, consultant, bestselling author and founder of The Guinea Group. Over the past 15 years, with over 150+ global organisations, he has inspired workplace leadership, safety and cultural change. He’s achieved this by combining his corporate expertise, education (Bachelor of Psychology), and infectious energy.

Get in touch?with Anton today.