MOST Analysis

Mission Statement

This is the introduction to culture, an exploration of Edmondson’s and Clark’s work on Psychological Safety. Outcome: the team understands. Psychological Safety. Desired Learning Objectives: We understand the impact Fear has on team dynamics. We understand and can start building Psychological Safety. We understand the upside of Failure. We understand Clark’s 4 Stages of Psychological Safety.

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Objectives

01. The Importance: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
02. Measuring Safety: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
03. Inclusion Safety: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
04. Learner Safety: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
05. Contributor Safety: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
06. Challenger Safety: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
07. Fear: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. 1 Month
08. No-Blame Culture: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
09. Failure: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
10. Manager’s Role: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
11. Hybrid Workplaces: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month
12. Leadership Development: departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development. Time Allocated: 1 Month

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Strategies

01. The Importance: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
02. Measuring Safety: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
03. Inclusion Safety: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
04. Learner Safety: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
05. Contributor Safety: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
06. Challenger Safety: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
07. Fear: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
08. No-Blame Culture: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
09. Failure: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
10. Manager’s Role: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
11. Hybrid Workplaces: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
12. Leadership Development: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.

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Tasks

01. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze The Importance.
02. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Measuring Safety.
03. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Inclusion Safety.
04. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Learner Safety.
05. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Contributor Safety.
06. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Challenger Safety.
07. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Fear.
08. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze No-Blame Culture.
09. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Failure.
10. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Manager’s Role.
11. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Hybrid Workplaces.
12. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Leadership Development.

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Introduction

What Exactly Is Psychological Safety?

Simply said, psychological safety is the confidence that you can be yourself at work – that you can work honestly, openly, and truthfully without worrying about criticism or repercussions.

Our confidence to enter the office each day, feeling strong and prepared to face whatever the workweek may bring, is supported by psychological safety.

Importantly, psychological safety fosters a culture of prudent risk-taking, encouraging you to take on new challenges with the confidence that your staff won’t criticize you or point out your “mistakes” if you fall short of the target. They’ll assist you in getting to your destination instead.

This is how corporate culture, or the assurance that “this is the way we do things around here,” plays a key role in fostering psychological safety. In the aforementioned scenario, it is probably because you are afraid of the unknown that your initial reaction is to get off the train and come up with reasons not to enter. How are errors like these handled in your company? Will your boss be furious? Will they shout? In what way will you be repaid? Will you face retribution? Do you have anything to worry about?

A culture that values education and views mistakes as learning opportunities rather than failures is a natural fit for psychological safety. Employees in these businesses are motivated to promote innovative working methods because they know that not only will their ideas be listened, but also if something goes wrong, blame will be shared.

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Because of this, psychological safety is a requirement of effective organizations. Failure to establish a culture that encourages speaking up will probably result in skyrocketing turnover rates and declining productivity. Even worse, you’ll foster a culture where taking chances is discouraged, which will stifle innovation and demoralize your most skilled employees.

The Four Stages Of Psychological Safety

Dr. Timothy Clark identified the following as the four levels of psychological safety:
• Stage 1 – The first stage of safety is known as inclusion safety, and it focuses on meeting the fundamental human need for connection and belonging. You feel secure and loved just as you are at this initial stage, weird traits and all.
• Stage 2: Learner security. You feel comfortable learning, asking questions, and trying new things at this point. You’re more willing to provide and accept criticism now (and you even feel safe to make mistakes).
• Stage 3 – Contributor safety. At this stage, you finally feel secure enough to use your abilities and gifts to contribute in a meaningful way.
• Stage 4 –Challenger safety. In the last phase, you must feel secure enough to question the status quo when you notice a chance for improvement or change.

Dr. Clark asserts that team members need to move through these phases in order to feel confident enough to speak up and offer significant contributions.

It Takes Time To Establish Psychological Safety At Work

The goal of psychological safety in the workplace is to create an environment where people can be authentically themselves. The following excerpt from the New York Times Magazine story about Google’s hunt for the ideal team sums it all up wonderfully (and is more pertinent than ever given our efforts to create hybrid workplaces):

Nobody wants to leave a piece of their individuality or inner life at home. However, in order to be completely present at work and to be “psychologically safe,” we must be confident that we may occasionally be free enough to discuss the things that frighten us without worrying about being blamed. To have difficult conversations with coworkers who are driving us crazy, we must be able to talk about what is messy or sad. Efficiency cannot be our only priority.

Furthermore, it’s crucial to avoid making the mistake of assuming that once the prerequisites for an emotionally secure workplace are in place, employee engagement and a healthy workplace culture will naturally follow. These are likewise crucial components of a thriving organization and call for concentrated work.

But if you don’t put psychological safety at work first, you’ll find it difficult to engage staff members and watch your culture flourish.

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Psychological Safety: What It Is Not

A psychological safety net does not protect you from responsibility. It’s not rhetorical assurance, political correctness, coddling, consensus decision-making, unearned autonomy, or niceness. Let’s agree on what it is first before talking further about what it isn’t.

In their 1965 book, Personal and Organizational Change Through Group Methods, Edgar Schein and Warren Bennis of MIT introduced the idea of psychological safety to the academic research community by defining it as “providing an atmosphere where one can take risks without fear and with sufficient protection.” Psychological safety allows you to:

1. Feel included
2. Learn
3. Contribute
4. Challenge the status quo

And you’re free to engage in those activities without worrying about embarrassment, exclusion, or negative consequences.

Psychological safety is becoming a top organizational goal all over the world as it is the primary indicator of cultural health and the way to both inclusiveness and innovation. But there is some misunderstanding about what it is and is not (and occasionally deliberate misdirection). People continue to misunderstand and misuse the idea. Look at these instances where organizations and leaders fall short:

A Protection from Accountability

Using psychological safety as a defense against accountability is a frequent and misguided application of it. Employees who don’t perform well often use it as an excuse, arguing that a focus on psychological safety entails valuing people and developing relationships. That is accurate, but they argue that we should excuse them when they don’t perform, straining the idea.

The faulty reasoning goes on: We are now letting go of such industrial artifacts because we may have previously employed forceful and manipulative tactics, fear and intimidation, command and control, and other similar methods with people. People should b