Psychological Safety
“Psychological safety is belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes.” – Amy Edmondson
As public servants, our work can be difficult. Our jobs require an immense amount of dedication, and it’s normal to feel stressed about work from time to time. Creating a safe space for teams means being understanding, flexible, and knowing when to step in to help a teammate carry their load.
Safe Assignments
- Set realistic and fair expectations and deadlines
- Encourage collaboration
- Feels achievable within an employee's current workload
- Based on skills and interest
- Give staff opportunities to test new skills in different roles on the team
Safe People
- Take time to react or respond in a calm and collected manner
- Pause before responding when negative emotions are present
- Assume positive intent
- Check for misunderstanding or miscommunication
- Take time for self-care and personal time away from the workplace
Safe Leadership
- Ask questions before making decisions
- See mistakes as learning opportunities
- Admit to mistakes you have made, and offer solutions for repair
- Be an advocate for your team
- Approve (and encourage!) time off for your staff
Have patience with yourself and others as you tackle stress and conflicts. Nothing is more important than the well-being of our people.
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