Fearless Pioneers Talking Psychological Safety – Art Markman

Q1 Why do you believe psychological safety is so important for organizations?

A1. Business is competitive and there are always many short-term goals that seem more important than creating a psychologically safe environment. That is why leaders need to remind themselves constantly of the importance of enabling people to bring their full selves to work.

Q2 What is the most important organisational layer and enabler for psychological safety?

A2. Managers and empathy.

Managers are the most important organisational layer. Organizations only communicate through words and mission statements. Individuals and teams need to be in an environment in which the behaviors that the organization says it wants are the ones that are actually rewarded. Ultimately, that reward structure is implemented by managers, which makes them crucial for creating a psychologically safe space for people to work. Empathy is the most important enabler. When we lead with empathy and truly understand why other people act as they do, we take potentially difficult situations and turn them into opportunities to reinforce a sense of belonging and inclusion. A core element of psychological safety is the sense that you will be heard when you speak your truth.

Q3. What do you think are the biggest challenges in creating psychological safety?

A3. Business is competitive and there are always many short-term goals that seem more important than creating a psychologically safe environment. That is why leaders need to remind themselves constantly of the importance of enabling people to bring their full selves to work.