What is psychological safety?
Psychological safety is a term that was first described in 1965 and has become more and more prevalent since both Google and Microsoft identified it as a key performance driver. The achievement of psychological safety was further described in research by Dr Timothy R Clark as requiring four stages of development:
“Psychological safety is a condition in which human beings feel (1) included, (2) safe to learn, (3) safe to contribute, and (4) safe to challenge the status quo – all without fear of being embarrassed, marginalized, or punished in some way. The 4 stages of psychological safety is a universal pattern that reflects the natural progression of human needs in social settings. When teams, organizations, and social units of all kinds progress through the four stages, they create deeply inclusive environments, accelerate learning, increase the contribution, and stimulate innovation.” Dr Timothy R Clark
What is a team?
Teams who perform well recognise the contribution of each team member. A team is formed whenever there is more than one person working on a project or towards a goal. Teams can be hierarchical (with a formal management structure) or quite flat and collaborative (as you will see in many board structures in the voluntary sector).
All team members need to feel included (1) and this is a basic need throughout our development. Most of us experience our first sense of inclusion and safety when we recognise that we are part of a family. When this feeling of inclusion is carried through into a school environment it gives us the safety to learn effectively (2).
What makes a good team?
As we move through the scale, the next milestone is feeling safe to contribute (3). This is the point when our ideas and actions become visible within our team and our self-consciousness can naturally come to the fore. This can be a particularly stressful time for those entering an already established team where they may not have yet had the opportunity to build a level of trust [link] with the other team members. Once the trust has been established and we feel safe we can work very effectively together.
This is the point at which most hierarchical teams remain. They value the contributions of colleagues and support each other’s development but the direction and strategy is flowed down from management. This is not necessarily a bad thing for performance and in some teams, particularly our uniformed services, unquestioning action is required at times.
Why is disagreement in a team important?
In more collaborative teams, particularly in those setting policy and strategy or developing new procedures or products, it is vital that the team moves to the fourth step and encourages challenge of the status quo (4). In a psychologically safe team, there is an understanding that everyone’s views are important and deserve consideration, especially when they are opposing views. A rational, logical argument is an important element of the critical thinking process and is the opposite of a heated disagreement and consequent ill-feeling towards each other. Consideration of unconventional or unpopular ideas helps the organisation to grow.
I see this all the time in the most successful boards I work with. I would love to know what your experiences have been. Drop me a message in the comments.