How to develop psychological safety in a speak up culture

Today, HR and compliance professionals must create a workplace that encourages talent growth and upholds ethical standards and compliance. This can be challenging because of the rapidly changing nature of the workplace.

The linchpin in this effort is cultivating psychological safety—a critical element that enables a speak up culture. In this blog, we will explore actionable insights to develop psychological safety within your organisation.

What is psychological safety at work?

Psychological safety, a term coined by Amy C. Edmondson, is when people feel at ease being themselves at work. In a safe environment, employees feel included and free to learn, contribute, and challenge the status quo. Psychological safety at work means feeling free to share ideas without fear. It helps with teamwork and coming up with new ideas. Amy C. Edmondson believes that psychological safety is crucial for promoting collaboration and problem-solving within organisations. This can help prevents toxic cultures that does no good for employees or the organisation, impeding growth and morale.

What creates psychological safety in the workplace

Psychological safety in a workplace means that everyone feels able to share ideas and be honest without worrying. To illustrate this better, read the following:

Take Alex, for instance, who is reluctant to share his reservations during team meetings due to uncertainty about expressing himself among more outspoken colleagues. In a truly safe environment, Alex could openly discuss his concerns about a new project, potentially flagging up early signs of misconduct or ethical lapses before they escalate.

Then consider Zhang, part of a team that notices a serious glitch in their product launch plan. One which may compromise customers' data security. In a pressured atmosphere, where own job security is a concern, the team might hesitate to flag the issue to the higher authorities. However, with psychological safety, they'd confidently communicate the problem, potentially averting a disastrous product launch and the serious ethical questions that could follow if the flaw was ignored.

Lastly, consider Aarushi, a new salesperson who uncovers unethical sales practices and deceptive marketing strategies in her sales documentation. If the company culture did not value risk-taking, she might continue to follow the scripted pitch. While this could lead to immediate sales wins, it perpetuates unethical approaches to clients, fundamentally contradicting business ethics.

Psychological safety in the workplace is more than being nice and cordial. When employees are psychologically safe, they are more likely to report errors, malpractice, suggest improvements, and in the end, drive success for themselves and the organisation.

How to create psychological safety at work

Creating psychological safety is a dynamic process that requires ongoing commitment. Here are steps to establish this within your team:

1. Foster open communication: Encourage dialogue and constructive feedback. Leaders must model this behaviour by actively seeking input and showing appreciation for it.

2. Celebrate contributions: Acknowledge all contributions, significant or modest, to reinforce that every voice matters.

3. Normalise the not-knowing: Make it clear that it's okay not to have all the answers and encourage curiosity.

4. Facilitate inclusivity: Ensure that everyone has the opportunity to speak in meetings and considering their opinions with weight, not simply those in leadership.
5. Offer channels for dialogue: Dialogue is a pillar of psychological safety. Speaking up is already difficult as it is, therefore, offering anonymous reporting tools is a reliever for both reporters and organisations to have dialogue.

5. Handle failures with care: View mistakes as learning opportunities rather than occasions for punishment.

6. Provide clear expectations: Be transparent about roles, responsibilities, and the decision-making process.

7. Offer support: Make resources available for employees to learn and grow, further promoting a culture of openness.

In implementing these strategies, remember that developing a psychologically safe workplace is not a 'one size fits all' model. Each organisation must adapt these principles to their unique culture and operational structure. If you need help with it, we have established a 8 steps framework to guide you.

Psychological safety meaning and its impacts

By now, you may be well familiar with the need for a psychologically safe workplace. But what impacts do you achieve when you work towards it?  

• Employees feel part of the organisational journey: When employees feel safe to express their thoughts and ideas without fear of judgment or retribution, they are more likely to contribute to the overall success of the organisation.
• Employees feel empowered that their words matter: Normalising the unknown and encouraging curiosity empowers employees to ask questions and challenge the status quo. Especially, if they feel that the organisation will take their words seriously. This helps organisations improve as well, through a continuous growth mindset.
• Employees become more resilient within their team: Handling failures with care is crucial in building trust and resilience within the team. Viewing mistakes as opportunities for learning helps employees grow and develop, ultimately improving performance and decision-making.
• Employees are more productive in their work: When you show employees that the company values their development by providing support through resources and opportunities for learning, you promote a culture of learning and continuous improvement, leading to a more engaged and motivated workforce.
• Employees will more likely speak up about misconduct: If you cultivate a safe environment, employees will feel more comfortable speaking up about misconduct. When people come forward with misconduct reporting, you are able to drive an ethically strong organisation. This way, your employees not only see that their concern is acknowledged, but this opens doors for organisations to spot and deal with misconduct within its early stages.

How to balance psychological safety with speak up culture?

Implementing meaningful strategies to create a psychologically safe workplace requires a tailored approach that considers the unique culture and structure of each organisation. However, to achieve psychological safety, you also must focus routinely on building a wholehearted speak up culture. But is there something called 'too much' of a speak up culture?

There can be, if you aren't communicating the scopes of misconduct or drafting clear written procedures to guarantee a credible process. One of the key issues with an excessively vocal culture is the potential for it to foster an environment where employees may feel overwhelmed by constant demands to voice concerns or ideas, leading to fatigue or disillusionment.

Additionally, if not properly structured, a speak-up culture can inadvertently promote an atmosphere where too much criticism or negative feedback may harm team morale and collaboration. A balanced approach is key, where psychological safety meets speak up culture. Read our step-by-step guide for more information on this approach.