Psychological Security within Organizations & its Significance
In every workplace security is an essential element which should include financial, physical, mental and psychological security. However, psychological security is often overshadowed and ultimately tends to impact both the input and output of the workforce. Other than an emerging trend, it should also be a part of the main components of an organization’s to produce a culture of security.
Psychological safety refers to the notion of openly speaking and being real to oneself without the fear of negative consequences on one’s status, image or career. Therefore in a workplace, psychological safety is the ability to inhabit a mutual culture and sense of empowering people to inquire, express ideas and present concerns without being unnecessarily afraid to undergo the team’s unsupportive response. A good leader’s responsibility is to help its team combine its best ideas and go further with them to achieve success. Even though doing so may be inherently uncomfortable, it is a tactic that will guarantee unique and helpful outcomes as it will motivate individuals to strive through the discomfort and harness it for growth.
A culture that promotes psychological safety is mandatory for several reasons, the first one being employee support. Workplace violence occurs sometimes frequently and people fail to comprehend that it does not only pertain to verbal or physical disruption. It can have adverse effects on one’s psychological and mental well being as well which can cause them to feel helpless and isolated, which can be triggers and health concerns for many as they can cause anxiety and sickness. An employer’s role is to establish and implement policies on how to attain psychological security in a workplace.
Trust and respect are two important elements which build a culture of psychological safety and without these, employees may feel at risk, mentally. Ultimately, a lack of this safety will have adverse effects on the organization and its production. Those workers who are not encouraged to voice their thoughts, may also refrain from pointing out loopholes and risks in systems and procedures which may cause an organization to lose opportunities for improvement. Additionally, a culture of constant rejection can also breed within a workplace if empowerment is not fully recognized and used. Dr. Amy Edmondson of Harvard University published an influential paper on psychological safety where she stated that regardless of a team’s makeup, the success of one will always depend on its members.
When a workplace caters to its employees psychological security, there will be commendable results. Employees will be more inclined towards engaging with the rest of the organization which can ultimately make its workforce supportive and understanding. Additionally, when they adopt an inclusive culture, there will be collaborations hence improved creativity and more inputs from the team which will make way for growth and success within a workplace. The team’s performance will exceed significantly and as a result, employee turnover will reduce.
Psychological well being is equivalent to an individual’s physical well being and should be catered to worldwide, on all platforms. A lack of responsibility towards upholding it can have negative effects on not only an individual, but also on the community which surrounds it.
