Six Behaviours to Practice Psychologically Safe Leadership
Mental health and well-being are at the forefront of today's matters. As a leader, cultivating a healthy work environment for your team falls on your shoulders. There is pushing people to succeed, and there is forcing people to fail.
These six behaviours will help you demonstrate the importance of psychologically safe leadership:
Practice what you preach: First and foremost, acknowledge your own mistakes. Stumbling isn't a crime, and showing your team that it's okay to be vulnerable will encourage them to be transparent with their mistakes.
Chalk it up: There are many moving parts and discrepancies today. We must rely on each other and be open and responsive to feedback.
Build your norms: Form solid behavioural models and develop clear roles and processes, especially with new team members. Ask and respect how your employees prefer to communicate and receive feedback.
Encourage curiosity: Ask questions, and express genuine interest in the answers. Reinforce those who ask questions by thanking them and encouraging participation. Try to approach conflict through a lens of curiosity rather than confrontation. For instance, if one of your team members struggles to complete a task, say: "Oh, I see you missed your deadline for this; what can we do to get you back on track?"
Use a strengths-based approach: Ask your team: What can we count on each other for? A person might think that one of their strengths is something everyone has or might not even be aware that it is a strength. Help each member understand what they bring to the team.
Take care of each other: Check in on teammates, even if that means being aware if they need space to take care of their own needs. Also, assume positive intent. If one of your team members seems distracted, set a scene for them to explain themselves.