7 Ways to Promote Psychological Safety in the Workplace

We tend to think of disengagement as an individual problem, solvable by coaching, having the right managers, or defining engagement goals…

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We tend to think of disengagement as an individual problem, solvable by coaching, having the right managers, or defining engagement goals — the list goes on.

But evidence is mounting that to solve disengagement, you don’t need to fix the individual, but the culture. According to research, companies with high disengagement are 40x less likely to be considered a great place to work.

Take note: lack of participation is not an individual problem. If people aren’t speaking up, blame your company culture.

Even those who are naturally more inclined to raise ideas or ask questions may not do so if they fear being ignored or punished, research shows.

Disengagement is associated with a lack of trust, lack of creativity, poor interpersonal relationships, and lack of belonging — among many other harmful effects.

That’s where psychological safety comes in.

The authors of the study Hemant Kakkar and Subra Tangirala wrote,

“Encouraging and rewarding speaking up can help m…