Fostering_Psychological_Safety_through_Emotional_Intelligence.pptx

Psychological Safety

1. Fostering Psychological Safety through Emotional Intelligence Ezekiel Nii Tettey Antieye Addy – Clinical Psychologist, Dept. of Psychiatry ACCIDENT & EMERGENCY Centre

2. Understanding Psychological Safety; Definitions, Components & Characteristics Importance of Psychological Safety in Teams and Organizations Emotional Intelligence: A Foundation for Psychological Safety Connections between Psychological Safety and Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Impact on Team Performance and Innovation Strategies to Enhance Psychological Safety Through Emotional Intelligence Implementing Psychological Safety and EQ Initiatives The Future of Psychological Safety and Emotional Intelligence in Organizations Conclusion Table of Content Psychological Safety and Emotional Intelligence 2

3. Icebreaker Anxiety Party to practice Vulnerability Write down three (3) of your biggest anxieties; Rank them from the most to the least worrisome Share with someone sitting next to you Provide feedback to each other 3

4. Understanding Psychological Safety Definitions, Components & Characteristics 4

5. Definition Team psychological safety is a shared belief held by members of a team that it’s OK to take risks, to express their ideas and concerns, to speak up with questions, and to admit mistakes — all without fear of negative consequences (Edmondson, 1999). According Amy Edmondson , who coined the term describes it as “one where people are not full of fear, and not trying to cover their tracks to avoid being embarrassed or pushed”. Leaders need to realize that psychological safety isn’t the result of being nice, but rather being candor or frank by making possible for productive disagreement and free exchange of ideas. 5

6. Components Trust and Respect are fundamental components of psychological safety. Trust is the foundation upon which psychological safety is built and it is intertwined with respect. Open C ommunication is a vital component of psychological safety. It involves creating an environment where individuals feel encouraged and empowered to express their thoughts, ideas, and concerns without fear of judgment or retribution . Supportive Feedback and a Learning Culture encourages regular feedback exchanges that are constructive, specific, and focused on growth and improvement . A learning culture values continuous learning and treats mistakes as opportunities for growth. 6

7. Timothy R. Clark’s Four Stages of Psychological Safety Inclusion Safety focuses on creating an environment where individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives feel welcomed, valued, and included . Learner Safety refers to creating an environment where individuals feel safe to learn, experiment, and grow. It is about fostering a growth mindset and creating a psychologically safe environment . Contributor Safety refers to creating an environment where employees can contribute autonomously under outcome-level accountability. Challenger Safety involves creating an environment where individuals feel safe to challenge the status quo, voice dissenting opinions, and propose alternative perspectives . 7

8. Importance of Psychological Safety Why should we prioritize psychological safety in teams and organizations? 8

9. Importance of Psychological Safety First, psychological safety leads to team members feeling more engaged and motivated, because they feel that their contributions matter and that they’re able to speak up without fear of retribution . Second, it can lead to better decision-making, as people feel more comfortable voicing their opinions and concerns, which often leads to a more diverse range of perspectives being heard and considered . Third, it can foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement, as team members feel comfortable sharing their mistakes and learning from them. Finally, avoid negative impacts on employee well-being, including stress, burnout, and turnover, as well as on the overall performance of the organization. 9

10. Emotional Intelligence A Foundation for Psychological Safety 10

11. Definition 71 percent of employers value emotional intelligence more than technical skills when evaluating candidates . Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to understand and manage your emotions, as well as recognize and influence the emotions of those around you . Employees with high emotional intelligence are more likely to stay calm under pressure, resolve conflict effectively, and respond to co-workers with empathy. 11

12. Components of Emotional Intelligence 12

13. Cont’d Emotional intelligence is typically broken down into four core competencies : Self-awareness - It describes your ability to not only understand your strengths and weaknesses, but to recognize your emotions and their effect on you and your team’s performance. According to research by organizational psychologist Tasha Eurich , 95 percent of people think they’re self-aware Self-management - Self-management refers to the ability to manage your emotions, particularly in stressful situations, and maintain a positive outlook despite setbacks . 13

14. Cont’d Emotional intelligence is typically broken down into four core competencies : Social awareness - Social awareness describes your ability to recognize others’ emotions and the dynamics in play within your organization . Relationship management - Relationship management refers to your ability to influence, coach, and mentor others, and resolve conflict effectively. 14

15. Connections between Psychological Safety and Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Integrating Emotional Intelligence in Building Psychological Safety 15

16. Connections Self-awareness and Inclusion ; Cultivate self-awareness by examining your own biases and prejudices . Self-regulation and Learner Safety ; Develop emotional self-regulation to manage your responses to mistakes or challenges effectively. Empathy and Contributor Safety ; Cultivate empathy by actively seeking to understand others’ emotions and perspectives . Social Skills and Challenger Safety; Enhance social skills by promoting constructive feedback and effective communication. 16

17. Strategies to Enhance Psychological Safety Through Emotional Intelligence How do you create psychological safety? 17

18. Strategies A lot of what goes into creating a psychologically safe environment are good management practices. Make clear why employees’ voices matter . Admit your own fallibility. Actively invite input. Respond productively. 18

19. Steps to Creating Psychological Safety STEP 1: SOLICIT CRITICISM  - It’s a good idea to solicit feedback at the end of every one-on-one meeting with your direct reports. STEP 2: GIVE PRAISE - Giving praise is an integral part of rolling out Radical Candor in a way that will create psychological safety for your team . STEP 3: GIVE CRITICISM - you also need to let people know when they’re making a mistake so that they have an opportunity to fix it, improve, and grow in their careers. STEP 4: GAUGE YOUR FEEDBACK - Intentions don’t matter. Impact does. 19

20. Thank You Ezekiel N.T.A. Addy + 233 56 088 1002 [email protected] The Melody – Dept. of Psychiatry 20