Walking the Psychologically Safe Culture Talk
It amazes me how much emphasis is placed on "showing up" for Black History Month and not creating psychologically safe workplaces during the other 11 months. As we close out Black History Month (BHM), ask yourself…
"What am I doing during the other 11 months that demonstrates my commitment to creating a safe workplace where everyone can thrive and feel safe?"
"Am I walking the psychological safety culture talk?"
If the only time you and your organization invite discussions around race, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) is during BHM, I can guarantee you that your work culture needs improvements because one of the 10 cultural building blocks is psychological safety.
I Walk the Talk
I am more than serious about creating a psychologically safe culture. I'm walking the talk…are you? This is why I started the Culture Elevation newsletter. I passionately want organizations to thrive!
I've had at least four conversations within the last two weeks with organizations looking for a consultant to help them build diversity and inclusion programs and to solve existing problems. Many companies are looking for the "right" DEIB program to solve their organizational problems instead of focusing on building a thriving culture.
Often, I have to have a hard conversation to help clients adjust their mindsets. They need to realize that DEIB issues are just 1/10 of their cultural issues. Unfortunately, solving their DEIB issues will not help their organizations perform better.
What do I mean by 1/10 of your culture issues? I have been deeply immersed in a Fearless Culture program to sharpen my saw in all 10 of the building blocks that make up culture.
I'm not new to culture work. I've been doing this type of work for almost 20 years, but what drew me to Fearless Culture was the Culture Design Canvas. For once, I have found an approach that brings together all of my years of doing piecemeal culture work.
Before stumbling upon the Culture Design Canvas, here's a rundown of the programs that I've successfully completed. I'm not tooting my own horn, just letting you know how serious I am about this work:
Veritas Culture Facilitation and DEIB Facilitation certification program
Coach Diversity Institute's Executive Certification Diversity Coaching Program at Howard University
Better Teams, Team Consultants Academy
Fearless Culture's Culture Design Masterclass and Building a Fearless Culture Program
I've worked in organizations that say they care about diversity and inclusion, yet no one looked like me in the C-Suite. Once I asked them to take note of who was sitting in the "front office." They had to pause and admit that they were far from being diverse, let alone being inclusive, creating equity, and making space for belonging. Unfortunately, this is not a past phenomenon but a present reality for many in their daily lives.
Now, I'm able to combine my organizational development experiences with my acquired knowledge and skills to help organizations perform better by building a healthy culture.
I only engage with clients who are serious about improving their performance by having me facilitate a few discussions.
Two Things You Can Do
Let's be clear, if you are not serious about creating space for everyone to feel psychologically safe, you are causing more harm than good. All of your employees know if you are faking it. For that matter, those who visit your website and see your leadership teams can tell if your diversity and inclusion statement aligns with those actually leading your company.
You don't need to hire a consultant to help you assess your psychological safety. Here are two things you can do today.
First, look at your top level of leaders, e.g., senior executives, VPs, etc., and answer this question, "Do they look like the rest of the organization?" Repeat your question by going down a level. If your senior management doesn't look like the rest of the organization, you have work to do.
Next, look at the 10 building blocks on the Culture Canvas. Answer the two questions under Psychological Safety:
How do we encourage everyone to speak up?
How do we promote participation and candor?
Let's Walk Together
Don't settle for 1/10th of a healthy culture. You owe it to yourself and your workforce to elevate your culture…100% of it!
Finally, people should feel safe and valued in the workplace for 12 months of the year, not just during BHM. This is imperative for individuals and for businesses. When people come to work and bring their whole selves with them, they not only feel more confident and energized about their work, they also make a positive contribution to the company as a whole.
Everyone has a role to play to build a thriving culture. Let's walk the talk together!
Originally posted on LinkedIn.