Ever feel like your team, team members, or even the leader itself is not motivated to accomplish something? Not only does it affect the team’s performance, but it also lowers team productivity and creates a bad company culture. Maintaining the status quo sometimes won’t work effectively. In order to create a high-performing team with excellent team performance, a leader needs to find out what’s the root cause. After doing that, consider creating a safe space for all team members, prioritizing employee well-being.
Team Productivity – Is It Related to Psychological Safety?
Does it even relate? Psychological safety is a term created by Professor Amy Edmondson, a Professor at Harvard Business School. She said, “Psychological safety is the belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes, and the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.”
Then, why is it considered one of the factors to increase team productivity? Because, psychological safety refers to an environment where all employees feel safe to express their ideas, opinions, and concerns. If there is psychological safety, employees don’t fear the negative consequences – they don’t fear being judged, because they believe there is a sense of safety. In such a safe environment, employees feel empowered to take risks, be innovative, and collaborate openly with their team members. This also creates room for transparency, innovation, creativity, and continuous learning.
Psychological safety’s efficiency in a team is often proved by the level of productivity in that team. Team performance is highly affected by the existence of psychological safety. Employees are proven to create ideas without fear – especially fear of retribution – feel safely included (inclusion safety) and collaborate to work towards the common goal. This also indirectly affects organizational goals and organizational success. Innovative solutions are likely created in a safe environment, too.
Here’s How Psychological Safety Increases Team Productivity
Here are some ways psychological safety can increase the team’s overall productivity:
Creativity, Innovation, and Ideas
With psychological safety, team members have every tendency to be more creative and innovative. It doesn’t only enhances productivity, but also promotes creativity and innovation. When employees have the freedom to express their voice- or even life experiences into innovative and creative ideas without the fear of criticism or judgment, it will increase team productivity. They are more likely to think outside the box.
This also fosters a culture of continuous improvement and encourages individuals to take calculated risks, ultimately leading to enhanced productivity and growth. Employees are also more likely to collaborate and foster great teamwork. Why? Psychological safety promotes open communication and transparency, and it strengthens relationships in the team. With this collaboration happening often, this can lead to efficient problem-solving and improved decision-making – which again, boosts the team’s productivity.
Development and Feedback
This means continuous learning and promotes a growth mindset for everyone on the team. In a psychologically safe environment, team members will often brainstorm their ideas, challenge existing assumptions, and offer constructive feedback. This means a diverse perspective and helps to uncover innovative solutions to workplace challenges. When employees feel valued and respected for their contributions, they are more engaged and motivated to perform at their best. This growth mindset fosters a culture of learning and improvement, where employees are motivated to acquire new skills and knowledge to excel in their roles. As a result, they become more competent and efficient, leading to increased productivity in the team.
No-Blame Culture
In a psychologically safe environment, mistakes are viewed as opportunities for growth and learning, rather than being punished or criticized. Furthermore, psychological safety reduces the fear of mistakes in every team member. When employees have innovative ideas and feel safe to express them- to take risks and make errors with their ideas without fear of retribution or embarrassment, they are more likely to experiment and learn from their experiences. This can lead to greater creativity and innovation within the team, as team members are encouraged to think outside the box and explore new possibilities.
Diversity and Inclusion
Sometimes, employees might feel vulnerable. This vulnerability is caused by the non-existing inclusive culture in the workplace. Creating an inclusive environment for the organizational culture is important to foster psychological safety. When team members feel psychologically safe, they are more likely to embrace diversity and appreciate different perspectives and backgrounds. This creates an atmosphere where everyone feels valued and respected, regardless of their race, gender, age, or other characteristics. With this organizational culture, hopefully, increase levels of performance in the team.
Trust, Honesty, and Satisfaction
Psychological safety is also closely linked to employee engagement, which involves trust and honesty, and job satisfaction, which are key factors in team productivity. When employees feel safe and supported in sharing their ideas and concerns, they are more likely to feel a sense of belonging and purpose within the organization. This, in turn, leads to higher levels of job satisfaction and overall productivity.
Conclusion
Creating a culture of psychological safety in the workplace requires ongoing effort and commitment from both employees and leaders. It involves promoting open communication, leading by example, providing constructive feedback, and fostering collaboration and teamwork. When employees feel safe, supported, and valued, they are more likely to take risks, contribute innovative ideas, and be proactive in their work, ultimately leading to increased productivity.