Managers have a long history of ignoring employees’ feelings. As recently as a decade ago, employees’ emotions didn’t enter into the equation for workplace decision-making — arguably, managers didn’t even give much thought to their own emotions.
But today, the conversation has changed. It turns out employees are human beings who can’t be detached from their emotions for the sake of productivity. A few years ago, Google researchers found that a sense of psychological safety is one of the most important factors in successful teams. It’s clear that treating people well creates not just a better workplace, but better work.
I’ve been thinking about psychological safety (and the book’s amazing illustrations) a lot since reading “No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work” by Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy. Fosslien and Duffy outline a method for assessing psychological safety that asks participants to rate their team on five criteria:
- If I make a mistake on my team, it is often held against me.
- Members of my team are able to bring up problems and tough issues.
- It is safe to take a risk on this team.
- It is difficult to ask other members of this team for help.
- Working with members of this team, my unique skills and talents are valued and utilized.
Spoiler alert: You’re looking for high agreement with 2, 3 and 5, and low scores for 1 and 4. While just one measure of employees’ comfort at work, these criteria have helped me consider where our leadership is succeeding and how we can improve. From my perspective, the assessment shows that psychological safety shouldn’t be considered a perk, but the minimum of a healthy, functioning workplace.
Cultivating workplace safety is even more important today because in the remote era, work has infiltrated our home life. From bedroom Zooms to living room conference calls, the damage of unsafe workplaces grows when it seeps into employees’ personal spaces. So, how can we embrace emotions at work and make 2022 a year when we prioritize psychological safety? It’s a work in progress for me, but I have a few ideas about where to start.
1.Treat people like people.
It’s time to move beyond the era of “spreadsheet leadership.” Employees are more than a collection of data points and performance metrics — and they always have been.
Building a great company requires an environment where people feel safe, fulfilled, aligned and productive. That starts with recognizing employees’ humanity and thinking beyond the antiquated view of business as “influencing people.”
Part of this process involves ensuring everyone feels comfortable making mistakes, putting themselves out there and speaking up in whatever room they’re in. Without a baseline of safety, it’s hard to thrive and grow as an organization. More than ever, the world demands that companies be adaptable, breathing organizations. Opening the floor to “bad” ideas and embracing design thinking concepts like failing fast and questioning everything allows us to respond adequately.
When I hire someone, I look for people who believe in our company vision and treat everyone well. When I find people who fit, I don’t need to micromanage utilization, vacation time or daily tasks, because I trust who I’ve hired. I am also focusing on creating this standard for all hiring managers within our organization. Placing trust in employees builds happiness, which improves team performance, which contributes to happiness. It’s a pretty reliable cycle for which I don’t need to consult a spreadsheet. Plus, at a time when many people have expanded job opportunities, why would any employee choose to stay at a place where their feelings don’t matter? They wouldn’t — and none of us should.
2. Celebrate and accommodate differences.
Throughout my career, I’ve been in many meetings that required me to report on activity. In a room with a handful of peers, we’d go down the line and share what we did that week, based on the idea that creating competition inspires us to outdo each other. To me, this leadership style is psychologically damaging.
Everyone works differently and moves at different paces, and that should be OK. Just as a clock needs small, fast-moving gears and large, slow-turning gears to function, organizations need people who think and work differently. Regardless of how much space you give employees to “speak up,” certain team members will never communicate this way. Improving team comfort at work includes creating other avenues for employees to communicate, like one-on-one meetings or asking their thoughts on specific challenges.
At Brooks Bell, we use DiSC styles as a tool for understanding how people work. This system emphasizes that different is different, not better or worse. People’s needs vary, and working in an office filled with the same types of people wouldn’t benefit anyone. A healthy, productive and psychologically safe workplace should view unique personalities and workstyles as an asset, not a drawback.
3. Emphasize transparency.
I don’t have all the answers — but I never pretend to. I believe it’s important for leaders to model humility, transparency and honesty when they don’t know something so their team understands it’s OK to ask questions and work toward understanding. Many schools of thought go back to, “I’m the boss, so you do what I say.” To me, this creates a transactional relationship, not a true partnership. Because I’m transparent through both stability and uncertainty, my team knows that when I say something, I mean it.
I don’t think it’s possible to achieve true team empowerment or buy-in in a psychologically unsafe environment or one driven by a dictatorial leader. I’ve learned that it’s my job to envision the destination and trust my team to help us create the roadmap. When a leader never admits fault or lack of knowledge, employees don’t have opportunities to bring their full talents to their table.
Take the assessment from a leadership perspective
Here’s a challenge. Let’s flip Fosseline and Duffy’s assessment from the perspective of you as a leader: Be honest with yourself and then see what it reveals.
- If someone makes a mistake on my team, I hold it against them.
- I frequently hear from members of my team about problems and tough issues.
- I point out and compliment team members when they take risks.
- My team asks for help.
- I clearly identify unique skills and talents within my team and think about how best to utilize their talents.
This version can paint a clearer picture of where we come up short. As we embark on a new year, it’s a good time to refocus on these goals and incorporate practices that boost psychological safety into our everyday work lives.
My focus for the future
Leading a business right now is challenging. Lines between work and home life have blurred, job candidates have more options than ever and uncertainty continues to loom. With this backdrop, how do you cultivate an environment where people actually want to work?
In my view, it has to start with psychological safety. When you treat people right and create a respectful, empowering workplace, you plant the seed for teams that are energized, aligned and fulfilled. In 2022, it’s time to stop focusing on “maximizing employee productivity,” and start helping them thrive as humans.