Psychological Safety Stage 3

Leader Quiz: Do you sabotage or encourage contributor safety?

Find out with nine statements to figure out your approach to the third stage of psychological safety.

For the following nine statements, put yourself in the situation as it relates to your employees and a project they’re assigned. At the end, how many are true and how many are false?

1. I always give my two cents.
2. I give my opinion early.
3. I catch myself talking over people or cutting people off.
4. I finish people’s sentences.
5. I answer my own questions.
6. I am unaware of give off poor body language.
7. I bring up old mistakes.
8. I show impatience.
9. I show indifference.

If you answered mostly false, congratulations! You are encouraging Contributor Safety, the third stage in Psychological Safety. You’re providing direction, encouragement, guidance, and autonomy which help employees feel safe to contribute and believe they are making a difference. 

If you found that a lot of these statements could apply to you, we have four tips that can help you shift into a more autonomy-based leadership style. 

1. Explain the how. Provide an understanding of how things are done. Remember no micromanaging. 
2. Delegate the why. Encourage employees to gain an understanding of their why. What motivates them?
3. Recognize contribution. Release the creativity in each of your staff members and recognize it. 
4. Have check-ins with your employees at least two times per person per day, once in the morning and one in the afternoon. During that time, focus on the employee feeling valued and empowered.

There’s an innate need for people to use their knowledge, skills, and experience to contribute and make a difference. When people contribute, they develop self-efficacy, self-worth, and the capacity of independent high performance.

Editor’s note: Over the past three months we’ve focused on Psychological Safety. In January, we laid the foundation for what Psychological Safety is and how it can be applied at GEA. In February and March, we dove into the first two stages: inclusion and learner safety. In May, we’ll finish our series with Challenger Safety.