Having worked for over 30 years in the hospitality Industry, I think I’ve experienced the ebb and flow of this topic.
Certainly, most progressive and forward-thinking companies would now list employee welfare as one of the cornerstones of their existence, and indeed, proactive people practices have moved very much up the agenda in the boardroom.
The question for many is, have senior leadership behaviours and beliefs shifted in line with this momentum?
There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally impacted the world of work as we know it.
The repercussions of furlough are still very evident, both in terms of work perception, self-worth, work-life balance and ultimately the approach to employee rights.
Mental health, psychological safety and the moral case for wellbeing is very much a hot topic of conversation, and one which has been amplified greatly over lockdown.
For some organisations, wellbeing has been a sleepy topic in that it’s put out there and talked about, but it’s not until the last two years that emotional wellbeing and the mental health of employees has become business imperative.
As a result of the pandemic, employees are much more conscious and educated to the effects of burnout, anxiety and stress, and will hold their company and managers more accountable to role model a work / life balance.
So what about psychological safety?
Psychological safety is the ability to show your true self without fear of negative consequences on how others view you or your career.
Psychological Safety is now so important that the first global standard for practical workplace guidance on managing this in the workplace has been developed.
Here are some great statements to help you measure your company’s psychological safety:
- If I make a mistake in my team, is it held against me?
- Members of my team are able to bring up problems and tough issues.
- It is difficult to ask other members of my team for help.
- It is safe to take risk in my team.
- People in my team sometimes reject others for being different.
- Working with my team, my unique skills and talents are valued and utilized.
- No-one in my team would deliberately act in a way which undermines my efforts.
Isn’t this food for thought if answered honestly?
Let me give you four tips for increasing psychological safety at work:
- Show what healthy conflict looks like.
- Create a zero-tolerance policy for bullying and harassment.
- Help managers and leaders to show up authentically.
- Acknowledge (rather than punish) failure.
I think that if we look in the mirror, we could all do better!
