Working together to create a psychologically safe workplace

The Microsoft ANZ team comes together twice a year for a Diversity & Inclusion learning moment we call inclusive. We’ve used these sessions to tackle important topics such as racial discrimination and cultural intelligence, disability and accessibility, and intersectionality and privilege.??

Today, we hosted the fourth of these inclusive events and took the opportunity to focus on mental health and psychological safety.??

The term ‘psychological safety’ was coined by Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson and means the absence of interpersonal fear. It’s about feeling safe to take ‘interpersonal’ risks such as speaking up, disagreeing openly, surfacing concerns or saying ‘no’ without fear of negative repercussions. But while it might sound straightforward, it’s a complex issue to unpack in the context of workplace dynamics and high-pressure industries. Yesterday’s event was a bold attempt to do just that, based on insights from employees at Microsoft as well as guest speakers in politics, the mental health field and more.? ?

Some of my own experiences have made me passionate about the need to have more conversations about mental health and remove the stigma around asking for help. In 2017, for example, I was dealing with the passing of my father, my mother’s developing dementia and my new role at Microsoft all at once. I wasn’t keeping up but felt I had to push through. I later realised that being a bit more human and vulnerable about what I had been dealing with would have made things much easier for myself, my family and my colleagues.??

Yesterday’s event was a great example of the impact that vulnerability and sharing can have. To that end, I’d like to share some excerpts of the powerful stories our Microsoft co-hosts and guest speakers related during the session.??

“The fear around discussing emotions and vulnerabilities was ingrained in me, inherited from generations before who believed in silent suffering rather than seeking support. However, witnessing my father’s transformative journey has been a beacon of hope. Seeing him break down emotional barriers has empowered me to embrace vulnerability without fear,” said co-host Harshil Mistry.??

“It had taken years of running on an empty tank to realise that things needed to change. I have leveraged peer support groups, mental health first aid, and the support of a loving family and friends to recover from where I was,” shared James Buzzard.?

“In the bustling world of tech, where innovation and deadlines often take centre stage, my journey has been one of balance and mindfulness. I’ve learnt that it’s not just about meeting targets and closing deals, it’s about nurturing the heart and mind, for myself and those around me,” said Nichole Maassen.?

The power of sharing was best articulated by co-host Catherine Chandler, who said: ”I would not have shared my story if I hadn’t co-hosted today, but I’m glad I have. It helps with the healing and to reflect on how far I’ve come... like physical health, mental health also needs to be actively managed to stay ‘fit'."?

Microsoft’s motto has always been to listen, learn and act. We make sure our people leave our inclusive events with new insights and actions they can take to further their own learning and cultivate inclusivity in their teams. In line with this, I sat down with Dr Kim Hamrosi, CEO of Corporate Mental Health Alliance Australia; Dave Burroughs, Chief Mental Health Officer at Westpac; and Jacqui Maguire, clinical psychologist and mental health advocate, to discuss psychological safety and how it can be practiced in an organisational context.?

Here are the three things I took away from our very insightful and powerful discussion, which I hope everyone at Microsoft – and in fact anyone reading this – might benefit from:?

1. Investing in mental health is crucial to organisational success?

It was extremely valuable to learn from Dave Burroughs at Westpac, an organisation that is much further along the psychological safety journey than we are. For example, Westpac was the first organisation to appoint a Chief Mental Health Officer. Dave spoke about how he views psychological safety as a driver of innovation and success.?

“How can people push boundaries, be creative and put forward risky, innovative ideas if there’s a fear of reprimand or repercussion?”?

Westpac’s journey has been about asking the right questions: “Do we have the right systems, processes and capabilities and workplace environment that enables us to identify when work is problematic? Do we have mechanisms for people to be vulnerable to raise issues, ideas and discomfort, or speak up when unsafe situations occur?”?

1. Building connections in the workplace enables vulnerability and productivity?

Our panel talked a lot about the power of being vulnerable and asking for help. However, as we discussed, people are unlikely to actually do so if they do not have a personal relationship with their managers or team leaders.??

Jacqui Maguire explained that leaders need to think about how managers identify and respond to mental health crises—and, crucially, how teams can be set up to proactively manage these things in the first place. This involves integrating relationship building into managers’ workflows and responsibilities through regular check-ins with team members.?

According to Maguire, building these relationships will also drive effective work, as people who feel their voices are being heard and valued are more likely to suggest processes and work designs that allow them to be most productive.?

“We want peoples’ thoughts and ideas and to work well together. We need psychological safety because we have a mission as an organisation, and we need all of us to be able to concentrate on the work to move towards that mission,” said Maguire.??

1. Psychological safety is a shared responsibility?

Dr Hamrosi highlighted that those in leadership positions should not feel they need to have all the answers, nor do they need to solve every problem that comes their way. What is important is proactively creating an environment where people feel comfortable opening up, and then directing people to the right support and resources.??

Microsoft employees have access to a 24/7 Employee Assistance Program (including 24 free counselling sessions per year) and the REAL Mates mental health peer support program, as well as employee resource groups for women, people from the LGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities and more, which provide support and community connections. This includes 24/7 free counselling through Spring Health.?

My hope is that every team across the organisation left our session with a new understanding of their right to feel safe and heard at work, along with a new awareness of the role they play in ensuring a safe and healthy workplace for those around them. I hope every team comes together, whether in person or virtually, for an open conversation about how they will incorporate these learnings going forward.?

Despite inclusive being a virtual event, I felt a palpable sense of community and togetherness during and following our sessions yesterday. I want to thank the incredible team who put this event together, as well as our Microsoft hosts and speakers, guest speakers and panellists for sharing their time and wisdom with us. I’m also very grateful to the Microsoft community for attending and showing up to listen, learn and act as we build a safer, more resilient and inclusive Australia and New Zealand.?

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