Becoming a manager, especially for the first time, can be equal parts exciting and challenging. It also comes with a whole new set of goals and responsibilities. You have to set clear expectations. You have to learn to communicate more effectively. You have to help your team members stay motivated. You also have to learn to manage conflict and lead with care, empathy, and inclusivity.
Where your work meets your life.
A Guide to Building Psychological Safety on Your Team
Tips for first-time managers.
December 01, 2022
Science Photo Library/Getty Images
Summary.
Today, it’s not enough for leaders to drive strong employee performance. They need to take care of their team’s wellbeing, too. Here are a few ways to build a psychologically safe workplace:
- Don’t focus too much on building the “perfect” team. As a manager, it’s normal to want to hold everyone to a higher standard. But perfectionism can make you reactive, distrustful, and a micromanager. Instead, let your team make mistakes, avoid blaming individuals for problems, give them the space to learn and grow, and recognize the good work that individuals do.
- Advocate for diversity, inclusion, and equity. First, understand how diversity works. As you do, understand the biases that stop you from making more thoughtful and inclusive decisions. Finally, build skills like cultural competence that can help you lead more diverse teams.
- Communicate with care. For people to trust you, you have to learn with vulnerability and openness. When you’re open about your struggles and opinions, it’ll help your team members practice the same behaviors. Building this culture of openness also requires that you lead conversations with empathy and use language in a way that affirming rather than alientating or intrusive.