6. Top tips
The ‘SPEAK’ framework is relevant to anyone needing to create and cultivate a climate of psychological safety. There are, however, some specific things that can make even more difference for team leaders, learning designers and learning facilitators.
TEAM LEADERS
- Strive for clarity of expectations, standards, boundaries - and revisit.
- Agree together goals, standards expected, team and individual boundaries, governance and rules, what is OK in this team and what isn’t.
- Be inclusive in decision making - ask for input, problems, risks and ideas as early as possible.
- Don't rely solely on team meetings - talk to people before and follow up afterwards with quieter members.
- Invite and recognise challenge, counterviews and push back - fostering constructive contention.
- Regularly check whether you are in the 'learning zone' - yourself and the team.
LEARNING DESIGNERS
- Build psychologically safe team habits into programme design - ahead, during and after.
- Be clear and set expectations. Don't shy away from high standards of behaviour, skills and achievement.
- Fundamentally practice human-centred design, enabled by technology - not the other way around.
- Step up your curiosity and learning about inclusive design - cater for different styles, neurodiversity, marginalised groups etc.
- Be evidence-based and adaptive - be hungry for data about what works and doesn't in different contexts.
- Get creative and make the most of tools and techniques to grow and maintain safety.
LEARNING FACILITATORS
- In the learning environment, you are a team leader of this learning team - so the top tips also apply.
- 'Place' can be rather more complex and potentially more/less safe in a hybrid learning context. Done well, learners can feel more safe.
- There is the potential to learn from coaching - about contracting, holding a safe space and being an 'unbiased, challenging supporter'.
- Make good use of techniques to encourage participation - anonymously if it helps. e.g. anonymous polls, pseudonyms, hand raising.
- Role model by asking for and responding to honest feedback and suggestions.
Summary
- Psychological safety is fundamentally important to teams of all kinds, now more than ever.
- Learning with others is natural, but not without interpersonal risk.
- By creating a climate of psychological safety, team members can benefit from everyday learning opportunities as well as specific learning experiences.
- There are proven strategies team leaders can address and nurture – captured in the SPEAK framework.
- L&D professionals can also boost team learning through psychological safety – in how learning is designed as well as how it is delivered.