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Tag: psychological safety

Psychological Safety In The Team

Psychological safety in a team is the often underestimated success factor of modern leadership. An atmosphere of trust and security – sounds obvious, doesn’t it? But for many teams, this is unfortunately a distant reality. Instead of openness and honesty, fear, insecurity and the feeling of constantly having to prove oneself dominate. Managers who fail to take active countermeasures in this environment are not only jeopardizing the well-being of their employees, they are also jeopardizing the success of the company. Psychological safety is more than just a buzzword: it is the foundation for creative collaboration, mutual trust and long-term success. And as a rule, it is not tangible or is rarely verbalized by employees. So what does it mean in concrete terms? And why does the responsibility for this security lie with managers Alexandra Hagemann, expert in adult education, specializing in neuropsychology and media education, gives an explanation. What is psychological safety? Psychological safety describes a working environment in which people dare to express their opinions and ideas freely – without fear of negative consequences. It is more of a feeling of security, of trust, which in turn makes the individual capable of acting and encourages people to take responsibility. It also includes the issue of error culture. Because those who act and take responsibility think for themselves, ask critical questions or come up with ideas for new approaches. This clearly works better if you have the confidence that you will not be devalued or sanctioned. And yes, even if mistakes don’t happen, they will happen. Those who are already afraid to act are unlikely to take responsibility. A proactive environment requires more than just good intentions. It requires active leadership, clear communication and a willingness to build trust. After all, psychological safety does not develop by itself – it must be consciously promoted. Why do many teams lack psychological safety? In stressful, performance-oriented environments, psychological safety is often neglected. When the focus is solely on results, human needs fall by the wayside. Managers who focus solely on numbers and KPIs often overlook the care factor of leadership. They are not aware of how important feedback and addressing fears and insecurities in the team are, for example. Added to this are entrenched hierarchies that make it difficult for employees to speak openly with managers. Anyone who fears being judged for a mistake will prefer to remain silent – and thus withhold important insights or ideas.… weiterlesen