Navigating the workplace can be challenging for many of us. We are often tasked with producing results by effectively collaborating with a diverse group of colleagues. This can get stressful. But that’s normal in a dynamic work environment.

Additionally, many of us work in an environment where we are constantly dealing with the fear of embarrassment, confrontation, rejection, uncertainty, and isolation.

In many workplaces, you cannot take risks or authentically express yourself, without constantly receiving negative feedback from your employer, risking your job, or damaging your career.

The consequences of speaking up may include harassment, demotions, and covert abuse. This can take a toll on you, leading to depression or anxiety.

And working at a place that makes you feel unsafe, depressed or anxious every day can lead to burnout and predisposes you to all sorts of physical ailments.

But aren’t we all happy at work?

You would think we are, after all, why work there? But according to this McKinsey survey, only 26 percent of leaders create psychologically safe spaces for their employees.

This means, as an employer, many of the employees working for you could be unhappy. And that means you are not getting the best out of them.

As an employer, it is your responsibility to create a safe workplace. And the first step towards achieving this is understanding psychological safety.

What is psychological safety in the workplace?

You are psychologically safe at the workplace when you can be your true self.

When you work in a psychologically safe workplace, you feel free to collaborate, communicate and create, and bring your best self.

A psychologically safe workplace is a place where you;

• Can bring your whole authentic self to work, speak your mind, and take risks
• Are allowed to freely interact, network with others, and deal with any conflict amicably
• Can create and share ideas with no fear of unfair criticism or disengagement
• Can expect fair treatment regardless of gender, age, or race

The concept of psychological safety was first introduced to us by Amy Edmondson. She described it as a situation where people feel safe to take risks and have healthy interpersonal relationships.

As an employer who cares about mental health, it is important to create a safe workplace for your employees.

How to create psychological safety at work

1. Humanize your employees

The first step is to humanize your workers by viewing them as individuals with goals, feelings, and challenges.

Practicing empathy is the best way to humanize your workforce, and it opens the gates for you to influence and inspire your team to make positive decisions that increase productivity.

In fact, according to the latest state of workplace empathy report, 40 percent of employees will work longer hours for an empathetic employer, while 56 percent will stay in a workplace where they feel more valued.

How do you show empathy at the office?

Empathy in the workplace is propagated by;

• Establishing counseling platforms where staff can check in regularly to share personal issues affecting their work delivery and get help.
• Using surveys to gather opinions from your team concerning workplace safety, company decisions, and ongoing projects, to increase employee engagement.
• Promoting fair work practices by creating rules that protect staff safety, giving them their dues, and watching their workload to reduce stress and encourage optimal output.

2.  Know your employees

If humanizing your employees helps you to understand them, knowing their personalities, capabilities, and characteristics, will help you improve communication, better their work experience, and make choices that contribute to their growth.

Additionally, knowing your employees helps you to channel their skills in the right direction, thereby improving their output.

Ways to get to know your employees

• Creating company social gatherings such as talent events and teamwork interactions where staff intermingle and get to know each other
• Establishing an open-door policy that encourages them to share ideas and discuss challenges at work
• Spending time working side by side with them on projects to understand their work ethic, values, and build a strong work relationships
• Conducting surveys to gauge their talent and views on projects and the state of the work environment
• Introducing regular meetings where staff and leadership talk about company goals and how to contribute to their success.

3. Create positive work experiences

Psychological issues at the workplace sometimes come from working in a hostile environment where only negative experiences occur.

Employees who have positive work experiences are more likely to hit revenue goals.

Employers are also more likely to retain great talent and benefit from increased employee engagement when their workers feel safe.

A hostile work environment is a place where sexual abuse, racial harassment, workplace inequality, poor communication, and human resource mismanagement are regular occurrences.

Creating systems that reduce such issues is a sure way to eliminate workplace hostility and encourage a safe working environment.

4. Monitor company leaders

Most of the negative work experiences that employees have stem from problems with management.

Employees need to work under managers who understand them, stick to the workplace rules, and increase their productivity, without tampering with their ambition.

Company leaders can ensure managers are fair by;

• Asking for feedback from staff on their work relationship with their line managers
• Training managers on human resource management skills they can use to develop a high-performance workforce
• Monitoring managers to ensure they do not engage in unprofessional habits
• Holding undisciplined managers accountable. Ensure you consult employment lawyers to ensure that due process is followed
• Encouraging communications between managers and employees to strengthen their work relationship and build trust.
• Empowering staff to share ideas, ask for clarification on projects and challenge poor decisions by management with no fear of job loss.

5. Encourage skill development

Stagnation is another reason that many employees feel out of place at the office. It can also trigger anxiety, depression, and other mental issues because individuals do not grow their abilities.

The development of your employees through exposure to learning opportunities such as sponsored courses or seminars is a great way to boost their morale, expand their skill set, and encourage innovative thinking.

Employees who are proud of their skill set at the workplace have a healthier mental attitude, are more likely to deliver excellent results, and reduce company losses due to their expert knowledge.

6. Invest in mentorship

Employees who have mentors experience faster growth at the workplace and feel comfortable enough to produce their best results.

71 percent of Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs, and yours should have one too.

Mentoring your employees makes them feel they are part of a prosperous future, giving them feelings of emotional safety in the workplace based on job security and career growth.

Mentoring programs often result in a salary increase for staff due to skill improvement, promotions, and empowering work relationships that contribute to overall company growth.

You can create productive mentorship programs by;

• Establishing regular coaching events such as seminars to empower the workforce
• Employing leaders who are role models to inspire staff by learning from their work ethic
• Encouraging collaboration during projects to promote a healthy exchange of ideas

7. Provide growth opportunities

Lack of job safety is one of the top reasons that many employees give for feeling depressed at work.

Mental issues among workers triggered by anxiety due to fear of job loss are rampant.

Therefore, any company whose goal is to have psychologically healthy employees, should give employees opportunities to grow their talent and build their careers.

Here are a few ways to promote a growth culture at the workplace

• Create and implement company training programs
• Provide regular reviews to measure skills and productivity
• Acknowledge excellent performance with rewards.

8. Show appreciation

Employers who value their employees appreciate work done because it moves the company forward and promotes employee engagement.

Unappreciated workers are more likely to suffer mental problems and let the company down by giving less than 100 percent effort.

A psychologically safe workplace is one where workers feel they get back what they put in.

Showing appreciation makes them feel included, recognized for their efforts, and comfortable in the workplace.

Recognition programs where excellent employees get promotions, bonuses, awards, and appreciation on company platforms such as news feeds are effective ways to build employee loyalty and create job satisfaction.

Otherwise, companies that hold back on recognizing their employees’ efforts risk losing their best workers to those that actively show appreciation.

9.  Discouraging negative behavior

Negative behavior among staff is a sure way to breed discord and anxiety.

Bad habits that remain unchecked by company leadership, such as substance abuse, harassment, and discrimination, create an unsafe workplace that can trigger mental problems among affected workers.

Responsible leaders should put in measures that encourage abused staff to report bad behavior by opening communication lines, enforcing work rules, and taking disciplinary action.

Engaged leaders can identify workers with negative behaviours and nip their improper habits in the bud or let go of them, to make the rest feel safe and encouraged to produce excellent results.

10. Include employees in decision-making

Employees want to feel their opinions count because it makes them feel respected.

Employees included in decision-making are more likely to produce excellent results and work as a team because they were part of the process.

Gathering feedback is also a great way to avoid major mistakes that cause huge losses.

Frequent meetings where workers can outline their ideas and give opinions ensures everyone feels heard and valued.

Last word

Are you invested in creating a safe psychological space for your employees? These are ten tips you can use to appreciate your employees, create a stronger workforce, and increase company revenue. Let us know which ways you are creating a psychologically safe workplace or what you would like to see at your workplace that would make you feel more safe.