What is psychologically safe leadership and why does it matter?A satisfied workforce is essential for a successful organization. So, how can leaders determine how competent they are in managing workers in a way that is considered psychologically safe?
The National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (the Standard) requires leaders to be competent to manage, lead and supervise workers in a way that is psychologically safe. This is something more and more organizations, as well as leaders, are taking seriously. This is, in part, due to the fact that staff members who work for psychologically safe leaders are more likely to report higher job satisfaction and engagement, better workplace relationships, and better psychological well-being. A satisfied workforce is essential for a successful organization. And, leaders who feel equipped with the strategies and skills to lead in a way that is psychologically safe, find it makes them more effective as leaders. So it really is a win-win. Overall, it’s important for all of us to understand what psychologically safe leadership is, whether we are a CEO, a human resources professional, a leader or a worker.
So, how can leaders determine how competent they are in managing workers in a way that is considered psychologically safe?
The Psychologically Safe Leadership Assessment (PSLA) is an assessment tool that helps assess skills, strategies and approaches as they pertain to the following areas: communication and collaboration, social intelligence, problem solving and conflict management, security and safety, and fairness and integrity.
We all have a basic understanding of what these terms mean but how does this apply to psychologically safe leadership and workplace psychological health and safety (PH&S)? Let’s take a moment to define each domain clearly:
- Communication and collaboration: Effective communication involves the clear, timely and transparent exchange of information that supports employees’ success at work. Respectful and inclusive collaboration engages every team member in ongoing conversations related to their work.
- Social intelligence: Effective social intelligence involves demonstrating and facilitating supportive, safe and inclusive interactions in the workplace, particularly during times of stress or high demand.
- Problem solving and conflict management: Effective problem solving involves supporting and requiring respectful, solution-focused approaches to challenges. Effective conflict management is conducted in a timely, inclusive and safe manner.
- Security and safety: Security and safety require proactive, prompt and supportive responses to all threats to psychological and physical safety in the workplace.
- Fairness and integrity: Fairness and integrity are core components of psychologically safe leadership. Communication and decision making must take into account diversity of employee needs, yet be consistently unbiased and respectful.
Learn more about the key aspects of psychologically safe leadership from the Psychologically Safe Leadership Assessment (PSLA), an assessment tool developed by Dr. Joti Samra, MyWorkplaceHealth’s CEO & Founder, made for leaders to self-assess how they fare across five key domains of leadership, which align with the requirements of the CSA National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. These five domains are: communication and collaboration; social intelligence; problem solving and conflict management; security and safety; and fairness and integrity.
