Mark Hodder
Happiness and success through learning
Psychological Safety at Work
How to create and sustain flourishing teams
What really makes a great team work? Think about that for a few moments and make your own suggestions.
The answer may well surprise you. When researchers set out to find the solution they looked in at factors such as intelligence (IQ), the diversity of the team, the formal and informal ways teams worked and the mix of personality styles of the people in the teams. None of these factors provided a consistent answer or pattern for creating and sustaining effective teams.
There was one unexpected and consistent behaviour that did matter. How safe team members felt to speak up, share their ideas and concerns and contribute to the team. Not only did these teams perform at the highest levels they were safer with fewer accidents, retained people for longer with measurably better wellbeing. The good news for all of us is that the behaviours used in creating safe, effective teams are things we can all do, learn and improve.
It all begins with you - emotions and body language.
Understanding your personal impact on those around you is the first step. Using a short video and exercise I will ask you to consider the messages you are communicating to others through emotions, gestures and body language.
Creating a safe team where everyone can contribute.
Does everyone in your team, and the wider teams you work with, have the opportunity to share their ideas, speak up when they see potential problems and feel they have been listened to? These are the key elements in creating teams that feel psychologically safe. Using a set of questions, I will ask you to assess your current levels of psychological safety at work.
Meaning & Impact.
What gives you a sense of meaning in your work? How do you know you made an impact? When do you discuss meaning and impact with others at work and how are these important events recorded?