Psychologically safe communication and collaboration

Check out these actions and resources for leaders to improve communication and collaboration. Learn how to support each employee's success.

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Why this matters

Effective communication involves the clear, timely and transparent exchange of information that supports employee’s success at work. Respectful and inclusive collaboration engages every team member in ongoing conversations related to their work.

 Here are some benefits of effective communication and collaboration in the workplace:

  • Employees know what they need to do
  • Tasks are executed correctly
  • There’s clarity about priorities
  • Miscommunication and errors are reduced
  • Employee potential is optimized
  • Challenges are identified and resolved earlier

Suggested actions and resources by statement

1. I know how and when to adapt my communication style to facilitate effective interaction with diverse employee personalities, emotional states, or learning styles.

 

  • Emotional intelligence for leaders Use the activities provided to improve emotional intelligence related to leading, managing or supporting employees.
  • Communicating with emotional employees These strategies can help you have supportive conversations with employees and avoid triggering negative reactions.
  • Implicit bias Learn to identify and understand implicit bias, microaggressions and intersectionality. Whether the bias results in poor morale or discrimination, identifying it is the first step to eliminating it.

2. I ensure that all employees who report to me have clarity in terms of job expectations and task priorities.

3. I have one-to-one meetings with each team member to discuss issues that affect their work, including how their work links to organizational goals and objectives.

4. I ensure employees are kept up to date when there are proposed or actual changes in processes, policies or priorities that could impact their work.

  • Ask the question, “How might this impact employees?” during all planning discussions so that you’re ready to share with your team.
  • Elicit feedback Learn how to seek employee feedback in a productive and psychologically safe way.
  • Evidence-based actions for involvement and influence These actions and responses can be implemented with a minimal investment of resources or cost to the organization.

5. Even when I’m not authorized to share information, I communicate as appropriate with employees to address any unnecessary fears or concerns.

  • Seek clarity about the information you can share and when you’ll be able to share the information you’re asked to keep confidential.
  • Discuss any concerns being expressed by your employees with your superiors and ask for guidance in managing their fears.
  • Building trust for leaders Learn how to show your employees you’re trustworthy by exploring these core competencies and behaviours.

6. I conduct check-ins to help each employee maximize their capabilities and potential on the job.

7. I seek feedback from employees about what might be currently challenging or frustrating them at work.

  • Use this template 1:1 (One on One) Discussion Points | PDF to help support an effective discussion.
  • Interpret negative feedback accurately Most of us find it difficult to receive negative feedback. We may feel criticized, judged or blamed. Learn how to hear feedback as information about what we can do differently rather than who we are as a person.
  • Elicit feedback Learn how to seek employee feedback in a productive and psychologically safe way.

8. I seek input about each employee’s professional development goals.

9. I provide positive, constructive feedback to employees with the intent of helping them grow and develop.

  • Constructive criticism Learning to provide constructive criticism can help you resolve issues without conflict or misunderstanding.
  • Attribution error Whether we’re talking about our own behaviours or someone else’s, we’re likely to make assumptions about why they occurred. We often attribute behaviours to something either external or internal to the person.
  • Feedback preferences form | PDF Use this form to help your employees describe how they best can hear and use feedback to improve their performance.

10. I actively encourage employees to suggest ideas for new workplace experiences that they may value or benefit from (e.g., committee work, mentoring, job shadowing).

11. I provide employees with opportunities (formal or informal) to develop their interpersonal skills at work.

  • Find and interesting blog or article in interpersonal skills and have a discussion with your employees about why you think it’s valuable. Ask them how they would apply the interpersonal skill at work.
  • Emotional intelligence for employees Free activities to increase your ability to manage your reactions and control how you impact others. Building your emotional intelligence can help reduce stress.
  • Team building activities These team-building activities can help improve team effectiveness. Leaders and team members can learn how to resolve issues and support each other.

12. I discuss with my team how we can all work better together.

  • Leveraging team wisdom workshop Help your team members connect with each other practically and effectively, work together to address obstacles and learn from each other.
  • Psychologically safe interactions workshop These free workshop materials help show how behaviours might be interpreted as bullying, regardless of intent. Included is a slide presentation, facilitator guide and participant handout.
  • Hybrid teams In a hybrid team, some employees work on-site and some work remotely. Read more to learn how to balance and effectively support the success of both sets of employees.
  • Team building activities These team-building activities can help improve team effectiveness. Leaders and team members can learn how to resolve issues and support each other.
  • On the agenda workshop series On the agenda is a series of free workshop materials and facilitator tools to address psychosocial factors. Create an action plan with your team to improve psychological health and safety.

13. I verbalize my appreciation to employees for their individual tasks and efforts at work.

  • Evidence-based actions for recognition and reward These actions and responses can be implemented with a minimal investment of resources or cost to the organization.
  • Recognition strategies for leaders Learn how to express respect and appreciation to your employees.
  • Recognition preferences form | PDF Use this form to help your employees describe how they like to receive recognition.
  • Use appreciative inquiry When a worker is distressed, managers can be tempted to ask a lot of questions to ensure they have all the information needed to know how to respond. Although asking questions is often necessary to encourage a worker to speak, and to obtain relevant information, it is important to take a balanced approach. Asking too many questions can make workers feel overwhelmed or bombarded.

14. I recognize the successes and achievements of my team.

  • Incorporate team recognition into regular meetings even if it’s just for a few minutes.
  • Recognition strategies for leaders Learn how to express respect and appreciation to your employees.
  • Connect with your team In a busy work environment, you may find it challenging to connect with your team in a meaningful way. Using these ideas and activities, it takes just minutes a day to make a positive connection.

15. I demonstrate genuine appreciation to individual employees for the specific work they do.

  • Make a commitment to commenting on at least one thing for each employee every week.
  • Strengthening relationships Learn to build, maintain and deepen any relationship for a stronger connection.
Contributors include.articlesDr. Joti SamraMary Ann BayntonWorkplace Strategies team 2007-2021

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