{"id":61803,"date":"2025-06-19T00:27:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T05:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trainingmag.com\/?p=61803"},"modified":"2025-05-25T10:37:13","modified_gmt":"2025-05-25T15:37:13","slug":"making-psychological-safety-tangible-and-actionable-through-measurement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trainingmag.com\/making-psychological-safety-tangible-and-actionable-through-measurement\/","title":{"rendered":"Making Psychological Safety Tangible and Actionable Through Measurement"},"content":{"rendered":"

Psychological Safety is not an app that you install and just let run. It\u2019s a practice that ebbs and flows. Human nature often works against it. We get overloaded, hurried, or lazy, and it can get sidetracked for expedience. But if you can define what it means and the desired behaviors for the organization, it can be continually evaluated, improved upon, and maintained.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In a time when organizations need to focus on retention and maximizing their people’s talents, it is surprising that more leaders do not utilize the concept and practices of Psychological Safety. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Many leaders are still not familiar with the term.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We can describe Psychological Safety as <\/span>how someone feels when deciding if, and what, they share with others \u2013 observations, ideas, feelings, and personality. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The evaluation goes like this: \u201cThe higher the safety I feel, the more authenticity I will share. The lower the safety I feel, the more guarded or filtered my sharing will be, or I will just stay quiet.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Advancing Psychological Safety is an initiative that Training can deliver to affect the bottom line. It impacts productivity and efficiency, and it has a significant influence on risk-taking, innovation, and adaptability. Psychological Safety is also correlated to job satisfaction, engagement, and retention.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s not just about feeling safe to speak up,\u201d said Justine Sloyer, PHR, SHRM-SCP. \u201cIt’s about using data to ensure every voice is heard and valued.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

As Global Director, Talent Management for Applications Software Technology LLC (AST), Sloyer knows the value of Psychological Safety is tangible, but also cites the importance of measuring interpersonal dynamics and their effects.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPutting numbers to intangibles like Psychological Safety is a game-changer,\u201d said Sloyer.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How do you measure what you can\u2019t see?<\/h2>\n

Psychological Safety isn\u2019t easily seen, but its results are observable.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve seen it drive business outcomes and create a work environment where individuals and teams thrive,\u201d said Sloyer.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Because of this, it is important to focus on making Psychological Safety practices more tangible and apparent to team members and the organization. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The four zones above are used when talking about psychological safety and accountability.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What follows will explain how to break down key identifiable elements of Psychological Safety to practices that can be surveyed, measured, and acted upon.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Queries might include:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022 In this group, making an error is not looked down upon and held against you (rank from very much agree to very much disagree).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n