Psychological safety in teams isn’t something you can achieve and then forget about. It’s essential to maintain psychological safety as part of an ongoing, dynamic process. It’s not something you can create within your team once and it will stay without continuing to do the work.
Just like any relationship, without ongoing attention and focus, the relationships you’ve worked so hard to build with your team, and within the team, will break down; so keep nurturing them.
This doesn’t mean letting go of accountability. As a leader, it’s important not to err on the side of low boundaries, low incentive, and low standards, in your efforts to create a psychologically safe environment.
I’ve seen many leaders achieve great outcomes with high performing teams by setting up a psychologically safe environment with strong boundaries and clear working processes. The answer: intentionality and a clear framework.
Set yourself up for success in 2023 by taking the time to get clear on your own process and framework. Intentionality is key!
