Hr’s Role In Building Psychological Safety At The Workplace

The term Psychological Safety was coined by the ‘Amy Edmondson’ an Organizational behavioural scientist, which refers to as it is a shared belief held by members of a team that it’s OK to take risks, to express their ideas and concerns, to speak up with questions, and to admit mistakes all without fear of negative consequences

The tangible benefits of building psychological safety in your organisation range from improved innovation, better ideas, and products that excite your customers, through to reduced risk of failures, breaches, and non-compliance.

Why is Psychological Safety Important?

·       Encourages Innovation: Employees are more likely to share creative ideas when they feel safe from judgment.

·       Boosts Engagement: A psychologically safe environment promotes open dialogue and employee involvement.

·       Enhances Team Performance: Teams perform better when members support and respect one another.

·        Reduces Turnover: Employees stay longer in organizations where they feel valued and secure.

HR’s role in creating psychological safety-

·       Set an example by normalizing workplace vulnerabilities. This includes being comfortable with straight talk like “I don’t know,” “I’m going to need help,” and “I made a mistake” to encourage others to do the same.

·       Encourage managers to share their own mistakes and learnings with their teams, so as to develop collective intelligence and then encourage their teams to do likewise.

·       Support managers in such a way that every member of their team has a say.

·       Give meaning to work by providing a shared vision, clarifying work processes, and showing employees that their contribution has a positive overall impact on the company.

·       Ensure that company charters and policies are respected (on issues such as the right to disconnect, diversity and inclusion, compensation, etc.).

·       Take an active part in company life to create a good social climate

·       Stay close to the teams, and keep an open, enthusiastic, and dynamic mind.

·       Help teams assess their workload and identify whether they have the necessary resources to carry out the expected workload.

·       Support career management to help employees identify and use their skills and develop new ones.

HR plays a pivotal role in embedding psychological safety into an organization’s culture. By fostering open communication, supporting inclusive practices, and promoting empathetic leadership, HR can create a workplace where employees feel safe to contribute their best selves

References-

·       Abensur, E. (2023, November 15). How HR can improve psychological safety in the workplace. Talkspirit. https://blog.talkspirit.com/en/how-can-hr-improve-psychological-safety-in-the-workplace/

·       Geraghty, T. (2024, October 7). The benefits of psychological safety. Psych Safety. https://psychsafety.com/benefits-of-psychological-safety/#:~:text=Building%20psychological%20safety%20contributes%20significantly,and%20increase%20overall%20job%20satisfaction.