Work without Fear

When we talk about diversity in the workplace, we usually think in terms of age and gender. But what about the important differences in personalities, communication styles and approaches? All too often, people don’t speak up at work because it doesn’t feel safe – and the consequences can be far reaching. In this article we look at the idea of ‘psychological safety’, and how we can create a framework that really honours the differences people bring to an organisation. Psychological Safety is a relatively new buzz word. Psychological safety, in a work capacity, is all about creating environments in which employees feel accepted and respected. There are ways to identify if your workplace is psychologically safe or unsafe. For example, in an unsafe environment it is likely that any mistake you make will be permanently held against you. Similarly, if you’re in a meeting with people in senior positions and feel like you can’t speak your mind for fear of being judged your environment is not psychologically...