Psychological Safety in the Company

Philippe Ammann about Psychological safety in companies
"Managers are afraid that employees will not tell them the truth," explains Philippe Ammann. Rightly so, because if employees do not feel comfortable, they will not talk about problems, will not share ideas, or even worse: they will quit, either internally or in real life.

7 tips for managers:

1. Take responsibility

You are responsible for the culture in your company and can influence it, for example by designing meetings accordingly.

2. Be a role model.

Through your behaviour, you show what is allowed and what is not. The best example of this was during the Corona pandemic: Some politicians and managers had taken advantage while expecting restraint from the population. They were rightly discredited for this.

3. Get to know your employees.

Approach them, ask them how they are doing – and do so with honest interest.

4. Accept feedback.

Ask people for feedback, and especially when something didn’t go as you hoped. It may be hardest in these situations, but you will learn the most.

5. Share your knowledge and allow for continuing education.

As a leader, you shouldn’t be afraid of revealing too much about yourself or of someone stealing your thunder. On the contrary, the more you share and the more you encourage your employees, the better off everyone will be.

6. Ask open-ended questions.

These allow employees to share their opinions honestly without you already dictating to them. Allow for opinions that you may not be comfortable with, as this is the only way to get a complete picture of a situation.

7. Reduce tension.

Once you know people and have established a relationship with them, tensions are reduced. This is not about team outings that only have a short-term effect, but really knowing the other people so that you also better understand why someone acts accordingly in a situation.

Conclusion

“Safety means responding constructively to errors,” says Ammann. This is also becoming increasingly important in view of the new generation. Because the young in particular demand psychological security and don’t want to work in companies with a culture of fear. So if you want to recruit the talent of tomorrow, psychological safety is essential.

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