How to Create a High-Performance Culture in Your Organization

The Power of Psychological Safety: How to Create a High-Performance Culture in Your Organization

Successful organizations understand the power of psychological safety and the impact it has on their high-performance culture. Psychological safety is the shared belief among team members that they are safe to take risks and be vulnerable in the face of potential failure without fear of retribution. When psychological safety is present, employees are more likely to be productive, innovative, and engaged. This creates a foundation for a high-performance culture and sets the stage for success. By investing in psychological safety, organizations can foster an environment of trust and collaboration, unlocking the potential of their employees and creating a greater sense of purpose. With the right strategies in place, any organization can harness the power of psychological safety to create a high-performance culture. What is psychological safety?

Psychological safety is the shared belief among team members that they are safe to take risks and be vulnerable in the face of potential failure without fear of retribution. It’s the trust that team members have in each other as well as their leaders to protect them from judgment and provide a learning environment where everyone is comfortable being themselves. It’s the feeling that you have a right to be heard and that others will respect your ideas, even if they disagree. It’s the confidence that if you make a mistake, you have people in your corner to help you get back on track. Psychological safety is necessary for any team to be successful. In order to create a psychologically safe environment, leaders must regularly check in with their teams to ensure they feel comfortable expressing themselves and admitting mistakes. This also helps build trust and promotes an open, collaborative culture in which employees can collaborate and learn from one another. It’s important to note that psychological safety is not the same as a lack of accountability. It’s about creating an environment where people feel comfortable taking risks and being vulnerable, not one where people can get away with doing whatever they want without any repercussions.

Benefits of psychological safety

- Increased productivity - People are more likely to perform at their best when they are in a psychologically safe environment where they feel comfortable taking risks. This translates to more productivity, which is critical for organizations to achieve their goals. - Improved collaboration - Collaboration is critical in the modern workplace, and psychological safety is a key factor in promoting this type of culture. When people feel they can be vulnerable with one another, they are more likely to collaborate and share ideas. - More creativity - Creativity is essential in an everchanging business environment, and psychological safety can help promote this type of culture. People who feel safe sharing their ideas and mistakes are more likely to create new and innovative ideas. - Higher retention - Retention is critical for organizations to thrive, and when team members feel safe and fulfilled, they are less likely to leave. Psychological safety can help create a culture where team members feel valued and appreciated, which can help minimize turnover. - Improved productivity and retention, reduced turnover, increased creativity, and higher engagement — these are just a few of the many benefits that psychological safety can provide organizations.

Psychological safety statistics

- 85% of people in the workplace are currently disengaged. - Only 3 in 10 employees feel engaged with their work and the organization they work for. - 56% of employees say they are looking for a new job. These statistics show that many organizations need to improve the way they operate their businesses so their employees can become more engaged and feel a greater sense of purpose. One way to do this is to promote a psychologically safe environment where employees can feel comfortable speaking up and taking risks without fear of repercussions.

Strategies to create a psychologically safe environment

- Ask questions. - Promoting psychological safety starts with the way leaders interact with their teams. To do this, leaders need to ask more questions to get to know their teams better and understand what they are dealing with on a daily basis. This shows employees that their concerns and ideas are valued, creating a safe environment for them to share how they’re feeling. - Create transparency. - When teams are transparent with each other and their leaders, they are building trust and creating a safe environment. This means being transparent with information like financial reports and team metrics. This can be difficult, but it’s important because it shows that everyone is accountable and that no one is above being wrong. - Hold regular check-ins. - To promote trust, openness, and transparency, leaders should regularly check in with their teams to learn what they are working on and how they are feeling. This is not a one-time event; it should happen on a consistent basis. This shows teams that their leaders care about them, their work, and the challenges they face on a daily basis. - Hold regular one-on-one meetings. - To make sure you are addressing the needs of each team member, hold regular one-on-one meetings with them. This can be a daunting task as a manager, but it can also be highly beneficial for both parties. This is an opportunity for you to ask questions and learn about each person’s work, but it’s also a chance for each person to share how they are feeling, what they are working on, and what they need from you as a leader. - Hold regular team meetings. - Team meetings don’t have to be confined to the senior leadership team. They should happen throughout the organization, at every level. Regular team meetings can help create a sense of connectedness and camaraderie among team members, which can help increase engagement and productivity. - Create a vision and purpose. - Whenever possible, develop a vision and purpose that ties your team and organization together. This helps people see themselves and their role in the company’s greater purpose, which can help them feel a stronger sense of connection with the organization. - Hold regular feedback sessions. - Every organization should hold regular feedback sessions where employees can share how they are feeling and what they are working on. This is a great opportunity for team members to learn from one another and provide feedback on how their leaders can better support them. Feedback should happen at every level of the organization but should primarily focus on the team leader’s relationship with the employees under them.

Steps to creating a high-performance culture - Define the values and vision for your organization. - Before you can build a psychologically safe environment, you need to know what your organization stands for. This is the foundation of your company culture and the values that will guide everything you do moving forward. - Hire for cultural fit. - When hiring new employees, be selective about the people you bring on board. Make sure they share the same values as your team and organization. This can be one of the easiest ways to create a psychologically safe environment because you know you have the right team members on board. Create a safe environment to experiment. - One of the best ways to build a psychologically safe environment is to create a space where employees can experiment and try new things. This can be challenging, especially if your organization is large, but creating an environment where people feel comfortable trying new things can make a big difference. - Hold regular feedback sessions. - Every organization should hold regular feedback sessions where employees can share how they are feeling and what they are working on. This is a great opportunity for team members to learn from one another and provide feedback on how their leaders can better support them.

Psychological safety and leadership

Great leaders understand the importance of psychological safety and are committed to creating an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, taking risks, and admitting mistakes. They recognize that everyone on the team is unique and brings something different to the table, and they value those differences. They know there will be times when they are wrong, and they welcome their team members to challenge their ideas and provide feedback. While this can be difficult to do, it’s important for leaders to check their ego at the door and accept that they don’t always know best. This is the only way to truly improve as a leader and help the organization achieve its goals. One way to promote psychological safety is to hold regular one-on-one meetings with your team members to get to know them better and understand what they are dealing with on a daily basis. This is an opportunity for you to ask questions and learn about each person’s work, but it’s also a chance for each person to share how they are feeling, what they are working on, and what they need from you as a leader.

Training and development for psychological safety

As a renowned global leadership coach, Justin Caffrey has revolutionized the way organizations promote psychological safety. By providing training and development opportunities for employees, Caffrey has helped SLT and C-Suite teams foster a culture of innovation, performance, and competitiveness in the fast-paced business world of 2023. Known for his ability to build strong, committed teams that eliminate poor performers and elevate high-performing individuals, Caffrey's 30 years of experience running and building complex businesses through six major recessions make him the sought-after coach that every C-Suite and SLT dreams of having in their corner.