Everywhere you look these days, people talk about psychological safety in the workplace. Yet there is little sense of safety in the world right now. Instead, as we leave the fear of the pandemic, we are faced with the escalation of hostility and war.
We live in times where power seems to be driving leaders’ agendas on the global stage. Unfortunately, this is reflected still in most organisations. Many CEOs and senior leaders have used positional power to get to the top, and they are determined to stay there. The same can be said of politicians, who often forget the people elected them for the people.
Would your people vote for you?
If you are the CEO of an organisation and you stopped and reflected on who you are and your priorities, do you think the people in the organisation would vote for you, given the chance?
Toxic Environments
We work with people who work with people, and many of our coaching clients come to the session with the challenges they face in toxic organisations. When talking about psychological safety, they have low levels of trust in their leaders and managers. They do not know how to speak up in a way that will be heard and accepted, as they fear reprisals. Even seemingly strong adults can lose their confidence in the face of constant negativity and disrespect. People join an organisation full of hope and anticipation, and it is tragic to see them leave frustrated and damaged.
Leaders are responsible for creating the culture and climate within an organisation, whether a for-profit, not-for-profit or government entity. Where leaders give and nurture trust, they will receive it back ten-fold. Stephen Covey talks about the Speed of Trust. He says there are three ways to create trust, briefly translated below:
- Being clear about your intent, so everyone knows what you are doing
- Signal your behaviour so people can see it in action
- Do what you say
Check it out on the following link:
The points above speak to letting your actions match your words and being harmonious and transparent: What you see is what you get! As a result, people can be confident and secure knowing what is going on. They do not have to waste valuable energy that could be spent going to work and worrying about what is really happening.
Trust allows for quick decision making and action. It actively increases performance and creates stronger, more cohesive teams and organisations.
Trust
Trust is a learnable skill. Are you brave enough to step into that space and reap the benefits for you and your organisation? We can help you build the confidence and skills to inspire others to follow you. You will be more successful as a leader, and people will want to follow you. You capture their head and heart as well as their hands.
Get in touch for a conversation: www.chameleonskills.com