Safe to speak.

Contrary to what some may believe, psychological safety isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s critical for high performance.

It’s kind of obvious to say that when employees feel free from judgment, they bring more creativity, are more engaged and invested in their work, which leads to better results and more profits and productivity for you and the company. 

Yet when I am coaching many leaders and I ask about the psychological safety of their people many say they “guess” everything is ok. “Guess” isn’t good enough. “Guess” doesn’t cut it. Leaders MUST know how their people are.

If you want to take out the guess work and you really want to know, then here’s some keys to transforming your workplace culture into one where everyone feels seen, heard and valued:

🔑 Train Teams on Constructive Open Communication
Invest in training for your team in understanding their work styles, how to communicate effectively, listen contextually and have open, courageous conversations. (Hint: I can help with this!)

🔑 Establish Regular Feedback
Feedback should not be kept for the annual review – feedback should be part of the team’s daily diet. Ensure you as the leader are setting the tone for constant feedback processes. Try methods like the traffic light every meeting – what should we start, stop, continue, or what could we do more of, better or less – AND ask the team to give you feedback on these continually also. Ensure there is no blame attached to feedback – it should be neutral and treated as simply information for improvement. Make feedback a routine, not an exception.

🔑 Encourage Vulnerability in Leadership
When leaders openly share challenges and demonstrate empathy, it breaks down walls and inspires others to do the same. Vulnerability, however, does not mean emotionally vomiting your stuff on your employees. Vulnerability does not mean oversharing and professional boundaries should always be maintained.

🔑 Implement “Safe Space” Policies
Policies that protect against retaliation reinforce the value of employee voices and build lasting trust across the organisation.

🔑 A Culture of Psychological Safety = A Culture of Innovation
When people feel safe to speak up, your organisation becomes a powerhouse of ideas, innovation, and collaboration.

I’m curious…

~ What would make you feel safer to speak up at work?

Are you ready to elevate your company's performance?

Send me an email to let me know you're keen for more information about developing a high performance culture.

AJ

Alexandra Joy