7 Tips to Create Psychologically Safe Spaces in your Workplace
By now, you’re likely familiar with the relatively new requirement to take "reasonable and proportionate measures" to eliminate sex discrimination, sexual and sex-based harassment, actions creating a hostile work environment based on sex, and related acts of victimisation.
Mental health related injuries now cost the Australian economy A$12.2 billion annually. “Of the approximately 10,000 serious mental stress claims in 2021-22, the highest proportion were attributed to work related harassment and/or workplace bullying (27.5%), work pressure (25.2%) and exposure to workplace or occupational violence (16.4%)”. - Safe Work Australia 2024 Data Report on Psychological health and safety in the workplace.
We’ve shared stories of sexual harassment before, the landscape has changed over the years and in today's fast-paced and demanding work environments, fostering safe spaces is crucial for the well-being and productivity of teams. Here are 7 actionable tips to cultivate a culture of safety and trust within your workplace:
Encourage Open Communication: Create avenues for team members to express themselves freely without fear of judgment. Encourage open dialogue during meetings and provide opportunities for anonymous feedback to address concerns effectively.
Lead by Example: As a leader, your actions speak volumes. Be transparent, empathetic, and approachable. Model the behavior you wish to see in your team members, demonstrating that vulnerability and honesty are welcomed.
Establish Clear Expectations: Set clear guidelines and expectations for behavior within the team. Clearly define what constitutes respectful communication and behavior, ensuring everyone understands their role in maintaining a safe and inclusive environment.
Provide Support Resources: Make sure team members know where to turn for support if they encounter challenges or feel uncomfortable. Offer access to counseling services, employee assistance programs, or internal support networks to address personal or professional issues.
Promote Diversity and Inclusion: Embrace diversity in all its forms and actively work to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and respected. Celebrate differences and leverage the unique perspectives and experiences of team members to drive innovation and creativity.
Address Conflict Promptly: Conflict is inevitable, but how you handle it can make all the difference. Encourage open, respectful dialogue to address conflicts as they arise, focusing on finding mutually beneficial solutions rather than assigning blame. Practice perspective shifting through intent vs impact – Intent is what is not observed, behaviour is observed. Therefore, the impact is the result of our behaviour and is more important.
Invest in Training and Development: Equip team members with the skills and knowledge they need to navigate complex interpersonal dynamics effectively – creating interdependent working cultures. Offer workshops and training sessions on topics such as emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and unconscious bias to promote self-awareness and understanding.
By implementing these tips, you can create a workplace where every team member feels safe, supported, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. Remember, fostering a culture of safety is an ongoing process that requires commitment and dedication from everyone involved.
How can we help?
At The Woohoo Company we run a ‘Creating Safe Spaces’ Workshop that has been picked up by both Government and Companies to help support their developing cultures.
Teams will cover:
The way we comply – Compliance Understanding
The way we change behaviours and mindsets
The way we operate – Putting it into practice
Testimonials
“Both sessions were enjoyable, it was a very positive and insightful workshop. The facilitators/trainers delivered a very successful workshop.”
“This workshop helped me realise that I work with some great and thoughtful people. The Woohoo team were professional but fun and made you feel comfortable to speak.”
Interested in diving deeper into creating safe spaces within your organisation? With this program we will explore strategies, frameworks, and best practices for cultivating a culture of trust and inclusivity, cover important compliance and legislative information and help support a positive behaviour and mindset in the workplace.
Explore our Creating Safe Spaces Workshop
We <3 this feedback too!
“Both sessions I found engaging thanks to the delivery methods attributed by Sue, Bec and Sharan. You all work very well together, but most importantly you get the message across.”
If you are experiencing harassment or discrimination, reach out for help. You are not alone - https://www.respectatwork.gov.au/get-help
More resources from the Australian Human Rights Commission - https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/sex-discrimination/projects/positive-duty-under-sex-discrimination-act
