Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams
“Organisations learn only through individuals who learn.” Peter Senge, MIT
Posts about psychological safety:
Why leaders need to focus on both psychological and physical safety
Thousands of years ago, when humans roamed the African savannah, it was in our best interests to live in tribes. Being part of a tribe allowed us to sleep soundly knowing that others were looking out for man-eating sabre-toothed tigers.
We are biologically programmed to want to be with people and work together, as we instinctively know it helps our survival. We feel alive when we are with other people. Yet, there is a dark underbelly to this need to be with others - we also fear rejection. In fact, neuroscience studies have uncovered we experience social rejection like physical pain.
Leadership Skill: Moving from Survival to Contribution
As Abraham Maslow taught in his Hierarchy of Needs, we can’t concern ourselves with higher goals (self-mastery and purpose) until we have the necessities of life. These being physiological (food and water), physical safety and social connection.
In the workplace, employees need confirmation that their fellow co-workers are looking out for them. They need to feel connected and that colleagues really care about them.
At the same time, employees need to believe the work they do matters, that they’re making an impact and others appreciate their work. And that they have a clear future within the organisation.
How to make People Fear for their Life in a Business Meeting
Have you ever unintentionally threatened people? What about in a business meeting? I did that recently. Let me share how I did it, so you don’t make the same mistake I did.
6 Tips for Leaders to Create Psychological Safety in Teams (Part 1)
With a rapidly changing world, the need for high-performance teams to solve difficult problems is more important than ever before. The good news is that humans are wired to want to work together on a goal that is bigger than what can be achieved individually.
3 Steps to Build Trust Quickly When Time is Limited
When talking to business leaders about building trust, one of the questions I get asked is how do you build trust quickly in a newly formed team when time is short?