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. Psychological safety in the workplace is critical to meeting legislative requirements, ensuring productivity and employee wellbeing. This means that every workplace needs to know how to create safe spaces where people and ideas can thrive.
Overview:
7 Tips To Create Psychologically Safe Spaces In The Workplace
We’ve shared stories of sexual harassment before. While the landscape has changed over the years, 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:
1. 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.
2. Lead by Example
As a leader, your actions speak volumes. Be transparent, empathetic, and approachable. Model the behaviour you wish to see in your team members, demonstrating that vulnerability and honesty are welcomed.
3. Establish Clear Expectations
Set clear guidelines and expectations for behaviour within the team. Clearly define what constitutes respectful communication and behaviour, ensuring everyone understands their role in maintaining a safe and inclusive environment.
4. Provide Support Resources
Make sure team members know where to turn for support if they encounter challenges or feel uncomfortable. Offer access to counselling services, employee assistance programs, or internal support networks to address personal or professional issues.
5. 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.
6. 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, impact is the result of our behaviour, and it is more important.
Are you a leader looking for support to manage conflict or change in the workplace? Our leadership coaching service is designed for you.
7. 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.
The Impacts Of Mental Health-Related Injuries
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 was 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.
How Can The ‘Creating Safe Spaces’ Workshop Help?
We run a ‘Creating Safe Spaces’ Workshop that has been used with both Government and Corporate teams to help support their developing cultures.
The workshop 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 Space Workshop
If you are experiencing harassment or discrimination, reach out for help. You are not alone - Get Help
More resources from the Australian Human Rights Commission - Positive Duty Under Sex Discrimination Act
More On Creating A Psychologically Safe Workplace
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You build psychological safety by encouraging open communication, setting clear expectations, and leading with vulnerability. Support resources, lived company values, and training future leaders reinforce a culture where people feel heard, respected, and empowered. This creates a workplace where trust and belonging thrive.
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The 5 C’s outline the key behaviours that create a safe and supportive workplace:
Clarity: Clear goals, roles, and expectations give people confidence in how to contribute.
Contribution: Everyone’s ideas are welcome, ensuring people feel valued.
Confidence: Mistakes are treated as learning opportunities, not failures.
Comfort: Team members feel at ease being themselves without judgment.
Connection: Strong relationships foster trust, collaboration, and belonging.
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The 4 pillars (or stages) represent the progressive levels of trust in a team:
Inclusion Safety: People feel accepted and part of the group.
Learner Safety: It’s safe to ask questions, experiment, and make mistakes.
Contributor Safety: Team members are empowered to share ideas and add value.
Challenger Safety: The environment encourages healthy debate and innovation.
