PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY

Create inclusive and collaborative environments that foster innovation

In today’s rapidly changing work environment, businesses are facing new challenges that require professionals to possess a diverse range of skills, such as autonomy, accountability, collaboration, and adaptability to changing leadership roles.

However, these skills can only be effectively harnessed in an environment where employees feel safe to express their ideas and take risks without fear of negative consequences.

This is where psychological safety comes into play, responding to a basic human need to feel safe and included.

There is a growing interest in psychological safety in business because it is the key to high employee engagement, inclusion, and innovation.

By fostering a culture of psychological safety, businesses can empower their employees to learn, grow, and contribute to the organization’s success.

THE 4 STAGES FRAMEWORK

The “4 Stages of psychological safety” by Timothy R. Clark is the roadmap for individuals and organizations to achieve and maintain high levels of psychological safety and to create inclusive and high engagement cultures.

WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY?

Psychological safety is an environment of rewarded vulnerability.

When our vulnerability is rewarded, we engage, contribute meaningfully and enter an active mode of performance.

WHAT IS "THE 4 STAGES FRAMEWORK"?

The 4 Stages framework help people and companies to achieve and maintain high levels of PS and to create inclusive and high engagement cultures.

The framework is based on the natural progress on human needs. There are 4 fundamental needs that exist across nations, cultures or any kind of group:

INCLUSION, LEARNING, CONTRIBUTING and INNOVATION.

1. Inclusion safety

satisfies the need to connect with others and to belong to a group. It allows us to feel accepted and develop a shared identity.

3. Contributor safety

satisfies the need to contribute and make a difference. The more we contribute, the more confidence and competence we have. Contributor safety, empowers people with autonomy to be more engaged, accountable and productive.

2. Learner safety

satisfies the need to learn and grow. It allows us to feel safe as we engage in all aspects of the learning process: asking, giving and receiving feedback, and making mistakes.

4. Challenger safety

satisfies the need for improvement. it allows to learn and grow. It allows us to feel safe enough to challenge the satus quo, without the risk of damaging our personal reputation or status quo. It is the state that fosters innovation.