Our Methodology
What Is Psychological Safety?
Psychological safety is the confidence and comfort to express your Authentic Self and engage openly with others, creating an environment where individuals and teams thrive - EVEN in challenging situations.
It incorporates many cognitive-emotional-behavioural aspects, such as your emotional and mental well-being, your mental processes, your emotional responses, thoughts and the way you behave.
Ultimately, a psychologically safe workplace is one where individuals and teams can thrive and achieve their full potential.
Gina Battye, CEO
The 5 Pillars of Psychological Safety
Gina Battye created The 5 Pillars of Psychological Safety; a comprehensive framework being used around the world to create fully inclusive workplaces.
The 5 Pillars are principles and teachings that are applicable to companies and their people around the globe, whether working in an office, hybrid or virtually.
They provide practical support enabling individuals and teams to take an active role in creating a psychologically safe workplace.
In essence, the 5 Pillars of Psychological Safety cultivate an environment where organisations and their people thrive.
The 5 Pillars in detail
Pillars 1, 2 and 3
Pillars 1, 2 and 3 are critical components in cultivating an inclusive and thriving workplace that empowers both individuals and teams to reach their full potential. By prioritising authenticity, effective communication and creating a supportive environment that fosters a sense of belonging among team members, the workplace becomes a safe and welcoming space where individuals can collaborate effectively and feel supported in achieving their goals.
Pillars 4 and 5
Pillars 4 and 5 build upon this foundation by providing structured opportunities for continuous learning and innovation. Through the dedicated Curiosity Sessions and Creativity Workshops, teams explore new ideas and discover different perspectives, encouraging and promoting a culture of curiosity and creativity. These scheduled sessions offer a structured time for reflection, exploration and experimentation; inviting individuals to step out of their daily routines, challenge themselves and embrace the possibilities of what could be.
The 5 Pillars
Together, the 5 Pillars of Psychological Safety form a robust framework that cultivates an inclusive and forward-thinking workplace, where personal and professional growth, innovation and collaboration are deeply valued. By empowering both individuals and teams to reach their full potential, this framework creates a vibrant and supportive workplace culture that inspires employees to thrive and fosters a strong sense of belonging.
Pillar 1
Pillar 1 is Self and centres around self-awareness.
In Pillar 1, individuals ask 3 questions:
1. What affects my performance and behaviour at work?
2. How can I take back control of the things that affect my performance and behaviour at work?
3. What can I do to achieve my personal and professional goals at work?
Gina’s Authentic Self Process underpins Pillar 1. The Authentic Self Process is an extraordinarily powerful 3 step system that unlocks your untapped potential, enabling you to thrive in the workplace.
By the end of Pillar 1, having applied the transformative Authentic Self Process, you will have identified and examined the factors that impact on your performance and behaviour at work and have a powerful toolkit of strategies to draw upon that will enable you to thrive in any workplace situation.
Armed with the game-changing power of heightened self-awareness and unwavering confidence, gained through unleashing your Authentic Self, you will not only excel in the workplace but also become a catalyst for meaningful change by leading with purpose and passion. With the Authentic Self Process at your fingertips, you will be well-equipped to create a positive and impactful change in your workplace and inspire those around you to do the same.
Pillar 2
Pillar 2 is Social and centres around communication.
In Pillar 2, individuals ask 3 questions:
1. How can I make sure I communicate my message clearly and in the way I intend it to be received?
2. How can I make sure I receive messages from other people in the way they were intended?
3. How can I get the most out of my exchange of communication with colleagues?
The Communication Cycle is integral to Pillar 2.
By the end of Pillar 2, you will have the skills to implement all aspects of the Communication Cycle, adjust your communication based on feedback and have a toolkit of dynamic and powerful communication strategies at your disposal to tackle any workplace scenario.
By mastering the communication strategies in the Communication Cycle, you will enhance and nurture your relationships in the workplace, enabling you to connect more effectively with colleagues, clients and stakeholders. From delivering a compelling pitch to navigating a difficult negotiation, the tools and techniques you learn in the Communication Cycle will empower you to communicate with unwavering confidence and crystal-clear clarity.
Pillar 3
Pillar 3 is Collaboration and centres around creating an environment where everyone in the team can thrive.
In Pillar 3, teams ask 5 questions:
1. What are our goals?
2. How can we create a safe space for everyone?
3. What is the work we need to do?
4. How can we get the most out of ourselves and the team?
5. How do we keep moving things forward?
The CollabZen Methodology underpins Pillar 3.
By the end of Pillar 3, leveraging the CollabZen Methodology, you will not only have acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to create a highly conducive environment for effective teamwork and collaboration, but also have a robust toolkit of proven strategies at your disposal to drive your team towards success.
With the CollabZen Methodology, you will be equipped to establish a culture of trust and collaboration among team members, unleash the full potential of each individual and create high-performing teams that consistently deliver exceptional results. This powerful approach will enable you to maximise productivity and drive innovation within your workplace, paving the way for unprecedented levels of success and growth.
Pillar 4
Pillar 4 is Curiosity and centres around Curiosity Sessions, in which learning and development, reflective practice and experimentation are integral.
In Pillar 4, the team asks 1 question:
1. How can we improve what we do and how we work together?
Curiosity Sessions provide structured opportunities for continuous learning and self-reflection.
By immersing yourself in Pillar 4, you will learn to experiment and question to innovate, transforming your approach to learning and development. By regularly engaging in Curiosity Sessions and leveraging the diverse toolkit of powerful strategies, you will extract valuable insights from the past to tackle current challenges. Fuelled by an insatiable curiosity and a growth mindset, you will develop an unwavering commitment to self-reflection and transform every experience into an opportunity to learn and evolve, thereby driving your team towards greater success.
Creating a culture of continuous learning and experimentation, with a hunger for growth and development, will propel your team towards new heights of innovation, performance and productivity, positioning you and your team for sustained success in an ever-changing world.
Pillar 5
Pillar 5 is Creativity and centres around Creativity Workshops, in which you develop and hone your problem solving and creative thinking skills.
In Pillar 5, the team asks 1 question:
1. How do we problem solve?
Creativity Workshops provide structured opportunities for exploration and experimentation, resulting in enhanced problem-solving capabilities and more creative and innovative solutions that drive growth and success for your organisation.
By immersing yourself in Pillar 5, you will experience a transformative shift in your problem solving and creative thinking abilities. The Creativity Workshops are designed to cultivate an innovative, growth mindset, enabling you to develop new and creative solutions to problems. You will learn to embrace ambiguity and uncertainty, unlocking new perspectives and unconventional approaches to overcome challenges. Equipped with a diverse toolkit of strategies and techniques, you will be able to break down complex problems and unleash your full creative potential.
Mastering these skills, you will become an inspiring and empowering leader for your team. You will encourage your team to generate solutions that go beyond the limits of conventional thinking, resulting in a culture of innovation and growth. As a valuable asset to your team, you will uncover new possibilities and opportunities, heighten engagement and ultimately, drive revenue growth for your organisation.
The Hierarchy of Psychological Safety
The Hierarchy of Psychological Safety maps out 8 levels of organisational responsibilities, embracing both internal and global dimensions.
The Levels
Level 1: Individual Safety
Establishing a foundational level of psychological safety at the individual level, promoting authenticity, resilience and personal responsibility.
Components:
- Intrapersonal Awareness: Cultivate self-awareness to understand thoughts, emotions and triggers, laying the groundwork for personal growth.
- Embrace Your Authentic Self: Embrace and celebrate your Authentic Self within the workplace.
- Manage Emotions: Develop skills to manage negative thoughts and emotions constructively.
- Navigate Triggers: Develop tools to navigate challenging situations and moments of stress.
- Take Responsibility: Encourage personal responsibility and accountability for behaviour and actions in the workplace.
Level 2: Interpersonal Safety
Nurturing psychological safety in one-to-one interactions, emphasising effective communication and interpersonal skills.
Components:
- Clarity in Message Communication: Develop skills to articulate messages clearly and precisely, ensuring your intended meaning is accurately conveyed.
- Accurate Message Reception: Equip individuals with the skills to receive messages accurately, promoting understanding and empathy.
- Optimise Communication: Develop skills to get the most out of exchanges with colleagues, enhancing the overall effectiveness of communication.
Level 3: Team Dynamics Safety
Cultivating a psychologically safe team environment, where everyone in the team can thrive.
Components:
- Leverage Insights: Use knowledge about individuals, identifying commonalities and differences to enhance collaboration and productivity.
- Understand Boundaries: Acknowledge and respect personal and work boundaries for a balanced and healthy work environment.
- Value and Adapt to Preferences: Understand and appreciate each team member’s work and communication preferences, adapting collaboration methods to enhance productivity.
- Embrace Celebration Preferences: Embrace diversity in celebration preferences, creating a culture where achievements are acknowledged and celebrated.
- Appreciate Personality Differences: Understand and appreciate personality differences, leveraging strengths to enhance overall team performance.
Level 4: Collaboration Safety
Creating an environment conducive to innovation and collaboration.
Components:
- Role Clarity: Understand roles, responsibilities and expectations to set the scene for effective collaboration.
- Safe Space Framework: Establish a safe space with defined ground rules and conflict resolution strategies to facilitate open communication and trust.
- Experimentation: Cultivate a culture that encourages experimentation, continuous learning and innovation.
- Diverse Perspectives: Value and leverage the diversity of perspectives, experiences, skill sets and expertise within the team.
- Active Participation: Encourage every team member to actively share ideas and potential solutions, promoting a collaborative and inclusive atmosphere. Acknowledge and reward collaborative efforts.
- Curiosity and Creativity: Create an environment that encourages curiosity and creativity, empowering team members to reflect and explore innovative solutions.
Level 5: Organisational Safety
Extending psychological safety to the organisational level, underscoring an unwavering commitment to cultivate a safe and inclusive workplace culture for all employees.
Components:
- Clear Mission: Develop and communicate a mission and values that prioritise psychological safety to guide organisational behaviour.
- Leadership Commitment: Demonstrate unwavering leadership commitment to psychological safety.
- Inclusive Policies and Initiatives: Implement policies and execute specific initiatives prioritising and advancing inclusion and diversity, cultivating a culture that values and leverages diverse perspectives and experiences.
- Resources and Training: Provide adequate resources and training to support individuals and teams in cultivating a psychologically safe workplace.
- Measurement and Action: Measure and monitor psychological safety, taking proactive action to address concerns or issues.
- Transparent Decision-Making: Uphold transparent and fair decision-making processes.
- Continuous Improvement: Continuously evaluate and improve upon the workplace culture to ensure that it is safe, inclusive and supportive for all employees.
Level 6: External Relations Safety
Extending and influencing psychological safety standards in external collaborations, cultivating robust and thriving relationships with clients, stakeholders and partner organisations.
Components:
- Client and Stakeholder Advocacy: Actively advocate for and influence clients and stakeholders to prioritise psychological safety within their operations.
- Mutual Commitment to Standards: Establish mutual commitments with external partners to uphold psychological safety standards in all interactions and collaborations.
- Knowledge Sharing: Share knowledge and best practices related to psychological safety with external partners to create a collective commitment to well-being.
- Establish a Feedback Loop: Establish an ongoing feedback loop with external collaborators to collaboratively enhance psychological safety in all endeavours.
Level 7: Community Safety
Elevating psychological safety to positively impact the wider community by proactively collaborating with the community through various initiatives, extending organisational commitment beyond boundaries.
Components:
- Community Well-being Advocacy: Advocate for and actively contribute to the enhancement of psychological safety within the community. Lead initiatives supporting psychological safety and resilience.
- Community Collaboration: Establish partnerships to enhance psychological safety in the wider community. Contribute to community-driven projects.
- Public Advocacy: Engage in public awareness campaigns focused on psychological safety. Advocate for policies and practices that prioritise psychological safety.
- Education Programs: Organise events celebrating diversity and inclusivity. Implement psychological safety education for community members. Prioritise psychological safety in community gatherings.
- Continuous Improvement: Commit to ongoing evaluation and improvement. Regularly update strategies for evolving community needs, ensuring sustained psychological safety.
Level 8: Industry and Global Safety
Elevating psychological safety to exert a positive influence on industry dynamics and global contexts.
This level is dedicated to challenging and transforming industry and global workplace attitudes, actively working to dismantle outdated practices.
The ultimate objective is to establish a global landscape of workplaces and industries that prioritise and cultivate psychological safety.
Components:
- Industry Advocacy and Standards: Lead initiatives to advocate for, actively contribute to and influence the advancement of industry-wide standards for psychological safety, influencing positive change on a global scale.
- Global Trend Impact Assessment: Assess the impact of global industry trends and legislative changes, navigating legal frameworks worldwide to ensure alignment with emerging standards and regulations, prioritising psychological safety principles.
- Strategic Global Collaborations: Establish strategic collaborations on a global scale, fostering diverse partnerships to enhance psychological safety practices across different industries.
- Global Social Responsibility: Integrate a commitment to social responsibility into organisational practices on a global scale, acknowledging and addressing challenges at a broader societal level.
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