In light of the COVID19 pandemic, businesses shifted to remote working cultures to ensure the physical safety of their employees. The feeling of isolation invoked due to working from home brought to light the need for supporting employee's mental well-being as well.
But apart from these, there has always been another type of safety that employees need in the workplace - and that is psychological safety. Before we dive into its importance, let's first look at what it means.
Psychological safety refers to the belief that it is safe to express yourself. When someone feels psychologically safe, they are able to show their true self without the fear of being judged for their thoughts or opinions. It allows employees to feel accepted in the company culture and perform their duties with confidence.
Whatever your position in the company, knowing you are psychologically safe is vital. Here's why employers should strive to build a psychologically safe workplace culture:
1. Creates a positive work environment
A workplace where employees know that they are encouraged to share their unique ideas without being humiliated makes employees feel safe. This not only makes them want to contribute sincerely but also makes it easy for them to stay honest in their work.
It gives rise to a positive work culture where everyone feels their contributions are valued. This kind of environment ensures employees always stay engaged. An engaged employee is significantly more productive than their peers.
2. Encourages innovation
Imagine a safe space where nobody is made to feel that they lack something, or they are stupid for suggesting something. It will become breeding grounds for innovation and bring forward unique solutions for every task.
This is highly beneficial for a company as innovation is a key driver of success. Companies that encourage this kind of culture are known to have a great reputation in the market and can easily attract HiPo candidates.
3. Enhances employee satisfaction
To build a healthy workplace, it's not necessary to always agree with each other but to have respect for each other's views. This makes communication effortless and reduces the chances of conflict amongst peers.
This helps in reducing work stress as employees are open to the idea that their ideas may not be perfect, but are still considered important. It eventually enhances employee satisfaction which plays a key role in retaining them for the long term.
4. Increases work efficiency
The idea of being judged for their opinions can negatively impact an employee's performance. On the contrary, making them feel that their ideas are welcomed boosts their morale.
This enhances their ability to perform better in their jobs and increases their confidence. Feeling confident can significantly improve their work efficiency which helps in increasing the financial gains of a company.
5. Strengthens employee loyalty
Having a loyal workforce can help a business grow leaps and bounds. When a company takes the unconventional approach and shows absolute faith in employees by encouraging their ideas, employees feel valued and cared for.
It makes them that they are an important part of the company and they become dedicated to achieving the organizational goals. By earning an employee's trust, a company turns them into faithful employees who care about the company's success.
How to build a psychologically safe workplace
One of the best ways is to train your leaders to be more supportive of their teams. Along with leadership training, you can provide soft skills training to help them understand how to interact with an employee in order to bring the best out of them. It's very easy now to train managers and leaders with the help of training softwares like Lessonly. The Lessonly pricing structure allows customization to meet your learners' unique needs.
Conclusion
Building a psychologically safe work culture is not a one-day job. It takes time and patience but its rewards are long-lasting.
