Can you remember a time when you were in risky territory, but felt completely safe? One of my earliest memories is like that. Sitting on my Grandma’s lap listening to and (attempting) to read stories way above my reading level. I would ask what a word meant and the story would pause, suspended off to the side ready to restart when we were. Grandma would get me to sound the word out. At first without help, she’d let me have a crack at what I thought the word sounded like. She’d help with parts of the word until I got it. When I asked the meaning, she’d ask which parts sounded like a word I already knew. I’d piece together a ‘best guess’ definition. Only then would Grandma give me the definition. Occasionally she would be unsure of the word herself. She’d attempt her own definition before we’d look it up.
When I reflect on the experience, there’s a lot to learn about building Psychological Safety. Any time we are learning we face potential risk – failure, looking foolish, ridicule are all possible. Like me, you’ve probably had experiences where you felt the potential or reality of those. In organisations, we need to be constantly learning and discovering. Negative consequences for the attempt stop us before we try.
Grandma was doing 5 things that can be directly translated into the world of work.
- Creating space – There were targets like finishing the chapter. Time was also a variable – before dinner or bed. However it was never a rush to the line. There was space to explore.
- Asking questions – I was never given the answer directly. Grandma would ask questions and encourage me to find the answer. As leaders we often feel we need to have/give all the answers. Asking is more powerful than telling.
- Working it out – there were tools and a process for working it out.
- Support – There was no criticism, or withholding the answer. The environment felt like ‘exploring together’ rather than ‘you are on your own’. It was an environment of shared curiosity.
- Not knowing was OK – questions were patiently welcomed with a smile. Grandma never said ‘there’s no dumb questions’ but she demonstrated that via her actions. When she didn’t know, she’d say that too, effectively modelling lifelong learning.
Where do you feel safest to explore? What makes it feel safe?
How could you increase Psychological Safety for your team this week?
