Crafting a Speak-Up Culture: The Art of Fostering Psychological Safety in Your Team

Brief 

Discover how fostering a speak-up culture can enhance psychological safety in the workplace. Utilise the wisdom of experts like Edgar Schein, William Kahn, and Amy C. Edmondson to promote employee engagement, trust, and respect.

 

Insight

Cultivating psychological safety in the workplace is an essential leadership responsibility. By creating an environment that allows individuals to voice differing opinions without fear, leaders can foster a ‘speak-up’ culture. This article takes insights from three experts in the field to help leaders understand and implement these ideas effectively.

Edgar Schein, a noted organizational psychologist, emphasised the value of questions to create a psychologically safe environment. In his book ‘Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling’, he argues that leaders can encourage open dialogues by simply asking the right questions and actively listening to their team’s responses.

Another important insight comes from William Kahn, often referred to as the “founder of employee engagement”. His research identified three key psychological conditions that encourage employees to engage fully – feeling safe, perceiving their work as meaningful, and having access to necessary energy and resources. The safety component specifically asks if employees feel safe to express themselves without the risk of ridicule or dismissal.

Amy C. Edmondson, another expert in the field, advises leaders to invite differing perspectives and foster a culture of dissent. She highlights the importance of considering other viewpoints and challenging existing ideas, without it devolving into personal attacks or heated arguments.

In conclusion, leaders play a vital role in nurturing psychological safety in their teams. By valuing questions, promoting a sense of safety, and encouraging dissenting views, they can cultivate a workplace culture where employees feel free to express themselves. This not only boosts employee engagement but also contributes to organisational success.

 

Highlight

1.  leaders can encourage open dialogues by simply asking the right questions and actively listening to their team’s responses.
2. The safety component specifically asks if employees feel safe to express themselves without the risk of ridicule or dismissal.
3. She highlights the importance of considering other viewpoints and challenging existing ideas, without it devolving into personal attacks or heated arguments.

 

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Related Questions:

• What is speak up culture?
• How do you develop a speak up culture?
• What does a speak up culture support?
• What is a speak up environment?