Employers have a duty to address threats and hazards to employee physical health. But, when it comes to a culture of employee wellbeing, the real benefits for productivity and performance come from attention to psychological safety, argues Arran Heal.
Employee wellbeing was high on the HR agenda even before the Covid-19 period turned it into a major priority. Now the idea of workplace wellbeing has become established as a priority, linked to an associated industry to help meet needs for organisational wellbeing with rafts of activities and benefits.
Organisations have invested in wellbeing strategies, wellbeing-focused managers, and everything from subsidised gym memberships and yoga sessions to free massages, meditation apps and fruit baskets.
But the focus on employee ‘wellbeing’ can be the wrong approach, according to new research from the London School of Economics (LSE).
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This is because it has meant focusing on solutions – wellbeing benefits – that involve dealing with the symptoms rather than causes. The LSE has pointed to evidence which suggests that the positive effects from wellbeing initiatives, such as the use of meditation, is only short term.
As common sense would suggest, all employees really want is a decent working environment: one without bullying and burnout. They’ll look after their health in their own ways and in their own time.
The problem is that some employers have preferred to avoid dealing with issues around what might be unreasonable job stresses, poor management and inappropriate behaviours. It’s much easier to introduce eye-catching perks than look at the underlying causes.
Rather than a focus on wellbeing, the researchers concluded that the attention should be on dealing with ‘ill-being’ in practical ways. In other words, by delivering ‘psychological safety’.
This, as defined by US academic Professor Amy Edmondson, is a “shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking. It describes a team climate characterised by interpersonal trust and mutual respect in which people are comfortable being themselves. There is a sense of confidence that the team will not embarrass, reject or punish someone for speaking up.”
Assessing workplace ‘ill-being’
Around a third of the 100 professional staff interviewed by the LSE’s psychological and behavioural scientists said that job demands, lack of flexibility and how they were being treated were having a significant effect on their mental and physical health.
The report authors have recommended that employers make an assessment of the ways in which particular organisational practices might be contributing to ‘ill-being’.
In particular, they have called for organisations to look at the value of giving employees more control over how and when they carry out their responsibilities. In other words, there’s a shift in thinking towards occupational health needing to focus on mental health as a foundation for physical health.
Feelings of trust and psychological safety are the real source of wellbeing for anyone, whatever challenges and insecurities they have to deal with.”
There is an essential duty for employers in addressing threats and hazards to physical health. But, when it comes to a culture of wellbeing, the real benefits for productivity and performance come from attention to psychological safety.
There needs to be clarity over what’s involved and the most effective role for OH. What the LSE research doesn’t reflect is the extent to which some wellbeing programmes are trying to get to the roots of ill-being.
This is through giving access to occupational health services (in the case of the impact of work on physical health in particular) and, via employee assistance programmes, to counselling and support on issues relating to mental health.
Feelings of trust and psychological safety are the real source of wellbeing for anyone, whatever challenges and insecurities they have to deal with.
Employees need to feel able to speak up and have difficult conversations when they need to, as a means of moving forward and dealing with what might be a simple misunderstanding, a minor cause for unease, that can either be easily cleared up. These need not be allowed to fester over years into demotivation, disconnection and ill health.
Five ingredients of psychological safety
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Developing a culture of psychological safety means the following five ingredients. Moreover, all of these would benefit from input from OH and wellbeing professionals.
- Having a clear vision and strong mission to uphold values and behavioural standards. When it comes to company culture, there are three key ingredients to ensure it is healthy: a strong mission and vision that help drive clarity for people in their roles; individual values aligning with company values; and the prospect of professional growth.
- Creating a ‘safe’ environment. One of the keys to psychological safety is that people feel comfortable voicing their opinions and do not fear being judged. Help teams develop a safe environment by creating a few ground rules on how they interact with one another. These could be as simple as emphasising the importance of showing empathy, allowing for diverse perspectives, welcoming all ideas equally and never placing blame or judgment.
- Developing curiosity and an open mindset. To break free of judgment and strengthen the relationship between team members, it’s important to have an open mindset. Often we look at things through our own lens, but approaching them from a different angle can help bring perspective. For example, by encouraging teams to share feedback with one another; helping them learn how to respond to input from others.
- Leading by example. Having a person to look up to, learn from and have as a role model, could be considered one of our fundamental needs. We conform to the behaviours around us, to develop a sense of security because we fear being humiliated or ostracised. It is vitally important to ‘walk the talk’ to develop psychological safety. Anyone in a position of responsibility should set an example for the rest of the organisation. This is applicable from senior management down to team leads and managers. A set of behaviours should become a norm across the company (such as asking for upward feedback, acknowledging mistakes, being open to alternative opinions and so on).
- Encourage the use of reflective listening. This is an important part of ensuring people feel valued and that they can contribute to the team. Ideas to improve listening include: leaving phones at the door during meetings and encouraging people to share more by asking questions.
It’s important to ensure your organisation takes these five ingredients on board to develop a psychologically safe culture.
