Creating an environment where employees feel secure to express themselves without fear of judgement or negative repercussions is foundational to accelerating gender equality in the workplace, and enhancing overall mental wellbeing.
What is psychological safety?
Psychological safety refers to an environment where individuals feel secure and comfortable to express their thoughts, take risks, and contribute without fear of judgement or negative repercussions.
At its core, psychological safety allows individuals to feel valued and respected, promoting a sense of inclusion and belonging. It is essential for fostering innovation, collaboration and inclusivity within teams.
The Current Workplace Landscape in the UK
The current workplace environment in the UK reveals a significant gap in understanding and applying practices that foster trust, inclusion, and open communication.
A study by HR Review found that while 84% of senior HR leaders in the UK recognise the importance of creating a culture that promotes diversity, inclusion, and a sense of belonging, 74% face challenges in assessing the effectiveness of their initiatives. Furthermore, 88% of these leaders expressed the need for stronger support and commitment from organisational leadership to achieve these goals.
These findings highlight a disconnect between the recognition of workplace inclusivity as a priority and the practical steps required to implement meaningful change.
Strategies to enhance psychological safety
In alignment with this year’s International Women's Day theme “Accelerate Action”, here are some proactive strategies which organisations can implement to enhance psychological safety:
1. Educate leadership
Ensure that managers, leaders and HR professionals have a clear understanding of what psychological safety is and its importance. Provide training to help them recognise and promote behaviours which actively promote and foster a safe environment for women within your team.
2. Encourage participation for openness
Create channels and opportunities where employees can freely share ideas, concerns or feedback without judgement or negative repercussions. This includes encouraging teams to ask for help when they need it, share shortcomings and admit mistakes. Lead by example, creating a ripple effect of psychological safety within the team.
3. Demonstrate understanding and empathy
Showing genuine care and understanding in workplace interactions fosters trust and psychological safety. By actively listening and ensuring clarity, you create an environment where everyone feels valued and heard.
4. Include teams in decision making
Actively seek input from your team, provide them with rationale for decisions and share feedback.
5. Diversity and Inclusion
“Diversity” and “inclusion” aren’t tick box buzz words, to really foster a supportive and psychologically safe environment you need to make sure that your teams involve diverse voices which are included, heard, and valued (and ensure that there are policies in place to protect these rights). This isn’t just the case when it comes to gender identity, but also age, religion, ethnic background, sexuality and experiences.
6. Looking at the specific needs of your team
As with above, diverse teams have diverse needs. What works for one team, may not work for another. Getting to know and understanding the needs of your employees can help you to be adaptable and flexible in your approach to ensuring psychologically safe environments.
By accelerating action towards psychologically safe workplaces, we not only support the wellbeing and advancement of women but also cultivate environments where all employees can thrive, leading to greater innovation and productivity. Psychological safety is not a new concept, and while it can be applied to IWD, it is not just about women in the workplace.
To better your understanding and find out more about psychological safety, check out our guide on the My Rightsteps Hub. Don’t yet have access to the My Rightsteps Hub, book a demo here and gain access to expert resources tailored to your workforce.