Introduction

Psychological safety is a foundational element for creating a thriving, innovative, and inclusive workplace. This training course explores the principles of psychological safety, focusing on its impact on employee well-being, collaboration, and performance. Participants will learn strategies to foster an environment where employees feel safe to express themselves, take risks, and engage in open dialogue without fear of judgment or retribution.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will:

1. Understand the concept and importance of psychological safety in the workplace.
2. Recognize the role of leadership in promoting psychological safety.
3. Identify barriers to psychological safety and strategies to overcome them.
4. Learn techniques for effective communication and conflict resolution.
5. Explore the connection between psychological safety, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
6. Develop skills to measure and improve psychological safety within teams.
7. Create an actionable plan to cultivate psychological safety in their organization.

Who Should Attend?

This course is designed for:

• Team leaders and supervisors
• HR professionals and organizational development specialists
• Executives and senior management
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion officers
• Workplace wellness and mental health advocates
• Employees seeking to enhance team dynamics

Day-by-Day Outline

Day 1: Foundations of Psychological Safety

• What Is Psychological Safety?
  • Definition and key elements of psychological safety
  • The business case: Why psychological safety matters for performance and innovation
  • Research and frameworks (e.g., Amy Edmondson’s work on psychological safety)
• The Role of Leadership
  • How leadership behaviors influence psychological safety
  • Attributes of psychologically safe leaders: Empathy, transparency, and active listening
• Recognizing Signs of Psychological Safety (or Lack Thereof)
  • Common indicators: Team behaviors, communication patterns, and outcomes
  • Assessing current levels of psychological safety in your workplace
• Interactive Exercise:
  • Participants reflect on their own workplace experiences and share observations on psychological safety

Day 2: Building Blocks of a Psychologically Safe Workplace

• Creating a Trust-Based Culture
  • The role of trust in fostering psychological safety
  • Strategies for building trust within teams and across the organization
• Effective Communication Techniques
  • Encouraging open dialogue and active listening
  • Using inclusive language and non-verbal cues to foster understanding
• Addressing Barriers to Psychological Safety
  • Identifying and mitigating toxic behaviors, bias, and fear-based practices
  • Managing power dynamics and promoting accountability
• Workshop:
  • Role-playing exercises to practice effective communication in challenging scenarios

Day 3: Psychological Safety and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

• The Intersection of Psychological Safety and DEI
  • How psychological safety supports diverse and inclusive workplaces
  • Recognizing and addressing microaggressions, stereotypes, and biases
• Empowering Marginalized Voices
  • Strategies for amplifying underrepresented perspectives
  • Fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and heard
• Case Studies:
  • Analyzing real-world examples of organizations improving DEI through psychological safety
• Interactive Session:
  • Participants design initiatives to integrate psychological safety with DEI goals

Day 4: Conflict Resolution and Feedback in a Safe Workplace

• Handling Conflict in Psychologically Safe Ways
  • Reframing conflict as an opportunity for growth
  • Techniques for managing difficult conversations
• Providing and Receiving Feedback
  • The importance of constructive feedback in a safe workplace
  • Models for effective feedback (e.g., SBI – Situation, Behavior, Impact)
• Measuring Psychological Safety
  • Tools and surveys to assess psychological safety levels (e.g., Google’s Team Effectiveness Model)
  • Interpreting feedback and using data to drive improvements
• Workshop:
  • Participants practice giving and receiving feedback in a simulated workplace scenario

Day 5: Sustaining Psychological Safety in the Workplace

• Developing a Long-Term Psychological Safety Strategy
  • Embedding psychological safety into organizational culture and policies
  • Training programs and resources for continuous improvement
• The Role of Technology
  • Leveraging digital tools for anonymous feedback, communication, and monitoring team dynamics
• Leadership’s Role in Sustaining Change
  • Empowering leaders to model and reinforce psychologically safe behaviors
  • Creating accountability mechanisms to ensure ongoing progress
• Final Project:
  • Participants create and present a psychological safety action plan tailored to their organization
• Wrap-Up and Certification:
  • Group discussion on lessons learned and key takeaways.
  • Conclusion and Certification.