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Organizations tend to paint a picture-perfect organizational culture, but behind the scenes, a different story is being told. According to a recent Gallup study State of the Global Workforce Reportfound that “quiet departures” or “employees not going above and beyond their duties at work” are still common. The report found that 62% of the global workforce is disengaged.
Quiet resignations are normally the results of a toxic work culture and/or burnout. Taking proactive steps is key to creating an environment where employees thrive at every level of the organization.
At the heart of all this is the power and role of authenticity and empathy in leadership: creating and nurturing a psychologically secure work environment. Authenticity may be perceived otherwise depending on who we are and what experiences we have. When inauthenticity occurs, it is sometimes easy to discover. Signs of inauthenticity include a leader’s behavior not being consistent with different situations; and also when their actions are not consistent with their words.
So how can leaders create a psychologically secure work culture based on authenticity and empathy? Here are five effective ways to do it.
1. Promote a culture of speaking out and discourage a culture of silence
AND culture of silence arises when psychological safety is lacking. This may be very dangerous because it results in lack of innovation, higher turnover and lower productivity, to name a few. A culture of silence is not only one in which individuals cannot speak, but also one in which individuals refuse to intentionally listen to others.
Cultivate a culture of openness by encouraging people to express their ideas, ask questions, report mistakes, and challenge the establishment.
Here are some methods that may do this:
- Use a combination of live, open feedback and anonymous feedback.
- Live Open Feedback: Encourage employees to express their opinions/thoughts without making them feel judged.
- Anonymous opinion: Create channels similar to Google polls that may be used to receive worker feedback. Anonymous feedback can discourage “GroupThink,” which may be helpful in creating more authentic feedback. “GroupThink” is when an individual simply agrees with the consensus view somewhat than engaging in critical pondering.
Leaders who show up authentically and empathetically are key to creating a culture where everyone’s voice is heard. This implies that integrity is a consistent theme in all features of your life. Showing up empathetically also means genuinely putting yourself in another person’s shoes to understand what motivates them and to understand their feelings with compassion and support. These forms of leaders are confident, which allows them to embrace views which may be uncomfortable and difficult. Insecure leaders do not welcome input from team members because they could perceive it as an individual difficult their authority.
2. Listening humbly and showing people you care
An effective leader is one who listens to understand, somewhat than listening to respond. This makes team members feel truly heard and understood. It is also essential to make sure that conversations between managers and team members are held in equal proportions. When managers speak first, team members can be less likely to bring up ideas that contradict the leaders. Therefore, it is beneficial that leaders speak last and leave space so that everybody in the room has an equal opportunity to speak.
In her book, Edmondson highlights Eileen Fisher’s workplace meeting structure, which de-emphasizes hierarchy and promotes equal participation. That’s why she encourages what she calls “a leader in every chair.”
3. Make sure failure is secure
To stay modern in today’s world, you have to give people the “freedom to fail.” This doesn’t mean taking unpredictable and careless risks that lead to business failure, but taking calculated risks.
Here are some examples of how leaders can make failure secure:
- Solution-focused response: It is essential to be certain that error recognition results from finding solutions to the error(s) in combination with a support element.
- Workshops on Taking Thoughtful Risks: Workshops that focus on taking calculated risks can make taking risks less scary and create a culture of modern pondering.
Instead of looking at failure as something to absolutely avoid or fear, look at it as a normal a part of the learning and experimentation process.
4. Model Vulnerability
It’s essential to be open to areas where you lack experience as a leader. During team strategy meetings, try your best to seek ideas from your team and be open to their feedback and guidance. This will create a secure space for future meetings without fear of being invalidated or repercussions.
Many leaders struggle with the query, “How can I be vulnerable without sharing too much information?”
It’s essential to note that leaders should share without oversharing. Leaders need to be sensitive with boundaries. Research professor and sensitivity expert Brene Brown states it perfectly: “Sensitivity without boundaries is not sensitivity.” For example, a manager might say they’re having a bad day because of some personal issues, but make sure not to share the intricate details of their personal issues.
Sensitivity has the ability to create a culture of trust and inclusion, which ultimately leads to a psychologically secure work environment.
5. Recognize and appreciate people
“The extra mile is never a mile too far,” as the saying goes. This is something leaders should consider when it comes to recognizing and appreciating team members. Monetary incentives play a role in properly recognizing employees, but using words is memorable when it comes from a real place. Instantly recognizing accomplishments, publicly celebrating team work, and sending a personalized thank-you note are all great ways to show appreciation.
Authentic appreciation leads to a psychologically secure work culture. Every person has their very own preferences for receiving positive feedback. Creating a reward system where each worker has the freedom to select their incentives creates a more personalized experience.
At the end of the day, when employees are blissful, every thing falls into place and flows beautifully and easily. And all of it starts with a deliberate effort to all the time find ways to create a workplace culture that every worker may be happy with and subsequently thrive in all areas, not only their profession.