One of the greatest challenges organizations can face in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic is an increased need from team members to have psychological safety. 

In fact, 84% of employees value psychological safety as one of the most important things in the workplace, according to a 2023 Oyster HR survey. 

Harvard Business Review defines psychological safety as “a shared belief held by members of a team that it’s OK to take risks, to express their ideas and concerns, to speak up with questions, and to admit mistakes — all without fear of negative consequences”.

A lack of psychological safety can lead to major disruptions in the workplace – including disrupting your plans for leadership continuity, as those people who have the skills necessary to step into leadership roles jump ship for organizations that provide the level of psychological safety they’re seeking. 

In one of my recent blog posts, we covered the #1 sign to look for to identify if psychological safety is impacting your leadership continuity. 

We also met Dylan, a 40-year-old nurse who was promoted to a senior leadership position and thanks to a lack of support and opportunities within the organization, sought employment elsewhere. 

Dylan was the perfect example of what can happen when an organization has promising candidates to fill leadership positions, but a lack of psychological safety, preventing those candidates from reaching their potential. 

Through the transition from nurse to manager to senior leader at the hospital, Dylan encountered many issues that prevented a sense of comfort in-role. Eventually, Dylan – who had so much passion and potential – decided to look elsewhere for work.

What can you do to prevent a Dylan from leaving – or prevent a Dylan from being created in the first place?

If you’ve identified symptoms of psychological safety issues within your team or organization, try this solution.

Implement Round Tables or Forums for Open Dialogue

Organize regular round table discussions and executive forums where employees from different levels of the organization can come together to openly discuss issues related to psychological safety, teamwork and communication. 

These sessions can provide a platform for sharing experiences, best practices, challenges, and innovative ideas for improving psychological safety and creating a supportive work environment. 

Leaders can actively participate in these forums to demonstrate their commitment to fostering a culture of psychological safety and to gather valuable insights and learnings.

In Dylan’s case, the organization did not have any method for open dialogue, either within Dylan’s peer group or with their leaders. Instead, suggestions for improvements were met with silence or a cold shoulder. Dylan, like so many other leaders, would have benefited from the open exchange of information that can come from even an informal round table.

Did you know? According to a 2021 report from McKinsey, only 26% of leaders demonstrate behaviors that create psychological safety for their teams – underscoring the importance of hearing from employees on how leaders can improve those behaviors.

Want to learn more about the two other ways you can improve psychological safety with your team? Join our upcoming forum! 

If you are a senior HR leader, executive, or business owner, register here to join this peer group conversation where we will explore several strategies to build psychological safety and promote team development.