Psychological safety at work: why feeling safe at work matters

Have you ever wondered why you choose to sit next to someone you know or like?

The answer is actually quite simple: it’s because that person makes you feel comfortable and safe without any worries.

The same feeling of safety is crucial in the workplace.

Psychological safety at work

If you get along with your coworkers, feel supported, and receive recognition for your work from your colleagues, you will experience greater job satisfaction and enjoy being there more.

Psychological safety at work is crucial for both your personal well-being and productivity.

Working in a psychologically safe work environment means feeling comfortable and secure at work, as well as among your coworkers. It is an environment where you do not have to worry about expressing yourself or sharing your opinions.

In fact, a psychologically safe work environment fosters diversity and inclusion, while also encouraging each employee to bring their authentic selves to work and openly and constructively share their opinions and ideas.

But what if you feel unsafe in your work environment?

Unsafe work environment

An unsafe work environment is characterized by the fact that you do not feel comfortable at work or around your coworkers. You have to be cautious about your behavior and words since others may attempt to embarrass you or discourage you from sharing your ideas and opinions.

When you work in an environment where you cannot openly share feedback and ideas, and where healthy discussions and disagreements are not welcomed, it creates a sense of unsafety and has a detrimental effect on both your creativity and productivity.

You may lose focus and become easily distracted, as your concerns about your environment, behavior, and issues with coworkers will intensify, diverting your attention from the tasks at hand. It is likely that you will begin to question if this is the path you want to pursue, and inevitably, you will hopefully start exploring alternative options and opportunities.

Offering a psychologically safe work environment is key to keeping your employees healthy, happy, and to increasing creativity and productivity.

It is important that both employees and employers understand the significance of safety and cultivate a sense of teamwork so that everyone feels secure and supported in order to accomplish great things together.

This will not only provide the right circumstances to focus better and boost productivity, but it will also make everybody happier and contribute to a healthy and enjoyable workplace.