Psychological Safety: Driver of Innovation and Performance

In an ever changing society, innovation is the order of the day. The contemporary world is characterized by a constant search for novelty and rapid change, and companies have embraced these challenges. New products, new modes of communication, new treatments: we find organizations in a permanent pursuit of the "after", whose key elements are employees driven by this mission and leaders in search of the perfect governance.

How does one develop the performance of employees and the teams that bring them together? 

This is a question that many companies are asking themselves. Preconceived notions, suggest that training is the first element we are tempted to focus on to assist in improving performance: a common thought is that a trained employee is an effective employee. Other factors are equally seen as elements that influence performance: a pleasant workplace, a CSE1 that offers great deals, or a reputation to maintain.

But what about the question of the employee's well-being and state of mind? How do they perceive themselves in their work environment and within their team? Do they feel they are in a benevolent environment, conducive to their development?

What are the factors that can influence his commitment to work? 

The notion of psychological safety seems to be able to provide an informed explanation of the intrinsic factors of an employee's performance in a company. Through these questions, we can also observe an evolution of the work paradigm. Whereas years ago, companies were driven by an industrial culture where only performance and uniformity were important, today we observe a culture of learning that is increasingly present in organizational structures where creativity and communication are encouraged in each employee and where management is supporting, rather than in overseeing, and this is becoming more legitimate over time.

📚Article pick: Exclusive Chat: Psychological Safety with Max Sather

The notion of psychological safety provides an answer to fear at work. Indeed, employees who do not dare to express themselves may be people who are shy by nature, but most of the time we often observe a fear, that of not being legitimately able to express themselves due to their position or lack of self-confidence, the fear of not being understood or heard, the fear of being judged. A whole bunch of apprehensions that slow down the individual in expressing his feelings and ambitions within the team. The fear of making mistakes is also largely at play in the creation of a safe psychological space at work. Often perceived and integrated as a stigma, members of an organization will tend to hide their mistakes. What a shame! Yet, mistakes are an excellent way to advance business practices and promote learning behavior within teams. 

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1 Le comité social et économique (CSE) est l'instance de représentation du personnel dans l'entreprise