"While uncertainty hung heavy in the air, our small team was unusually open with each other. We talked candidly about the challenges, the personal toll, and what it might all mean for the business. Without setting out to do so, we had built a foundation of psychological safety-one that made navigating a global crisis far less stressful than it might have been otherwise."
"We questioned our plans, admitted what we didn't know, and challenged each other with care. And in doing so, we learned something that's shaped how I work ever since: Psychological safety isn't a climate to be fostered when things are easy; it's an operating condition that must be designed into the team's DNA for when things get hard. The true test isn't harmony, it's conflict."
When COVID-19 halted business, a small team's candid conversations created a foundation of psychological safety that reduced stress during crisis. Team members questioned plans, admitted uncertainty, and challenged each other with care. Psychological safety functions as an operating condition rather than a passive climate and must be designed into team DNA to withstand hard moments. High psychological safety enables teams to identify and address issues faster. Many misunderstand it as a vibe instead of an actionable practice. Putting psychological safety first empowers everyone to influence how safe it feels to speak up and to normalize constructive disagreement.
Read at Fast Company
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