In the electric utility industry, physical safety in the workplace is fundamental to the work we do, from using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to fix a downed power line to following security protocols at a facility. But did you know that psychological safety is also a key component to the concept of human performance at work? A healthy environment for all employees can lead to a more engaged workforce, where innovation and continuous improvement thrive. Here’s how psychological safety in the workplace can benefit your organization.

 

What is psychological safety and how can your organization achieve it?

Amy Edmondson, Novartis professor of leadership and management at the Harvard Business School says “psychological safety describes an environment of low interpersonal fear.” She explains that an environment that lacks psychological safety leads to non-desirable outcomes such as personnel fearing they are going to ask stupid questions so instead do not speak up.

Edmondson said it is not about being nice but being candid with your ideas while taking risks. Similarly, a Forbes’ article emphasizes that it is not about less accountability, being nice all the time, or political correctness.

Achieving psychological safety is a journey. Leadership consultant Timothy Clark writes about four stages of psychological safety:  Inclusion, Learner, Contributor, and Challenger (see diagram below for aspects of each stage). Organizational leaders should lead by example by showing their people the right ways to bring up issues constructively, and they must genuinely support this journey for it to succeed.

 

Fostering an environment for psychological safety to thrive

Fostering an inclusive environment is fundamental to achieving psychological safety. Courtney Allen, Director, Electric Operations at PECO, discusses the role of leadership to create and cultivate not only physical safety but psychological safety. This involves promoting diversity and inclusion to drive more ideas, allowing employees to feel safe to bring up safety issues, and promoting “open communication and collaboration.”

Mental health is also integral to psychological safety and an important aspect of human performance in our industry. RF annually hosts a human performance workshop and in 2022, Liz Horvath, manager of workplace mental health at the Mental Health Commission of Canada, discussed the role of psychological health and safety in the workplace and the national standard in Canada. Organizations should not only promote psychological well-being in the workplace, but also work to prevent situations from cropping up that would harm the psychological health of employees, according to her presentation. Companies are now promoting wellness programs, webinars and workshops on how to control stress, and many other programs to help cultivate well-being thereby increasing human performance and psychological safety.  Some have even instituted “re-charge” days off a few times during the year to give employees time to “reset.”

It is also up to individuals to work on their own mental health so that they can work productively and safely, leading to less human error. At this week’s RF Human Performance Workshop, Summer Rae, safety leader and professional speaker, will discuss the importance of individual well-being and its impact on physical safety. Lack of proper sleep and stress, both at home and work, threaten safety on the job. Errors can occur due to poor human performance, from transmission outages due to human error, to disconnects between desired expectations from work performed and documented practices.

 

Reaping the benefits of continuous improvement and innovation

It shouldn’t be surprising that employees who are happier, less afraid to ask questions, and empowered to take risks help drive continuous improvement. The process gives employees the feeling that they are important and do not fear bringing up issues and new ideas, and it empowers them to make decisions. This open and fearless environment is part of the “learner phase” of psychological safety that Clark outlined and drives curiosity that in turn drives continuous improvement. As processes transform, so too do the attitudes of employees and the organizational culture. As these attitudes change, employees feel more empowered to participate in improvement initiatives as the team is entering the “contributor” phase of the journey to psychological safety.

From there, innovation can thrive, as the team challenges norms and strives to achieve greater successes (the last phase of the journey Clark describes). In a Forbes article, Lital Marom, Founder & CEO of UNFOLD + The Academy of Tomorrow, says that when people feel they are in an environment where they feel safe to speak their minds, it leads to more “imaginative and innovative thinking” as long as leadership shows authenticity in valuing people’s ideas and contribution.

In our industry, the focus has traditionally been on physical safety using protective equipment and following safety procedures due to the extreme dangers present in our work environment. But we are learning more about the importance of the psychological aspect of our work environment to human performance. Leaders have the power to create a culture that promotes a psychologically safe workplace and in turn can achieve success through an engaged workforce that strives for continuous improvement and innovation.

 

Further reading

To read more about psychological safety, check out the resources provided below as well as the ones linked throughout this article. And to learn more about the human performance aspect of psychological safety, attend and participate in RF’s yearly human performance workshop.

The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth – By Amy Edmondson, a pioneer of psychological safety

Fearless Leaders: Unraveling the Crucial Link between Leadership Behavior and Psychological Safety – This short document explains how leaders can promote psychological safety

Psychological Safety, Diversity & Inclusion – This article explains how diversity and inclusion are an important part of psychological safety

Workshop Activities to Build Psychological Safety – Ways your organization can build psychological safety through workshops