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Welcome to Episode Two of Psychological Safety for Neurodivergent Social Workers.
Today, we will be exploring what psychological safety in the workplace looks like and how passing through 4 sequential steps can get us there!!
In the last episode, I introduced you to why the series was developed and what it hopes to achieve. However, it is also important to highlight what the series will miss due to its focus through my lens as a neurodivergent social worker. Therefore, this is not an accurate representation of all neurodivergent social worker’s experiences.
For example, as the writer, I am writing and reflecting through a lens of white, cisgender and heterosexual privilege. Therefore, my reflections will not be able to take into account the intersections of race, sexual identity, gender identity or physical ability on psychological safety.
Please do use this platform to give voice to what is missed.
Psychological safety and resilience
A psychologically safe work environment refers to a workplace culture which is built on a foundation of interpersonal trust and mutual respect; in which people are comfortable being themselves (Edmondson, 1999).
It is important that we do not mistake psychological safety for resilience - and it is even more important to understand that the two can co-exist if there isn’t an overemphasis on the latter.
When we talk about resilience, we are often referring to the ability of a person (or ourselves) to adapt to difficult situations, 'to not just survive but thrive' in the face of adversity. This makes it the individual's responsibility to manage the environment, develop coping strategies and keep smiling no matter how adverse, unpleasant and unmanageable the situation/environment is. It takes away responsibility from the structures which actually create adverse experiences or environments and places it instead on individuals.
Self-care is one of the cornerstones of building resilience. Self-care can include exercising; a healthy diet; good sleep practices; nurturing positive relationships; or engaging in mindfulness practice.
For me, self-care is the practice of looking after and prioritising my own mental and physical well-being, which will then enable me to engage in activities that improve mental well-being, such as having a sleep routine, looking after my plants and journaling.
Ensuring, for example, you have enough sleep and journaling can help mitigate the negative effects of stress. Self-care additionally promotes adaptation through building self-esteem, self-confidence, curiosity, control over the environment, interpersonal relationships, and problem-solving skills.
However, self-care and resilience are not mutually exclusive. For example, you can promote self-care practices without making it the individual responsibility of the person. And I do not think having firm boundaries around our self-care practices is selfish.
In episode one, I discussed the individualism of resilience and I would like to emphasise that the argument this series is making is not that we need to foster psychological safety or resilience/self-care. It is that we need to nurture the positive aspects of resilience, such as self-care, and use it within psychologically safe work environments.
Psychological safety
Psychological safety is not the ability to adapt to difficult situations where colleagues or processes have made us feel shame, embarrassment or humiliation. It is, in fact, the complete absence of shame, embarrassment and humiliation. The overarching theme of psychological safety is belonging. Psychological safety is the belief and feeling that we will not be shamed, embarrassed, punish or humiliated for being our full authentic selves or for speaking up with thoughts, reflections, ideas, questions, or mistakes.
Like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs — a theory/model which demonstrates we need certain needs met for us to reach our full potential and achieve self-actualisation — employees need to feel as though they belong in the team/organisation before they are able to show up or contribute.
Therefore, a psychologically safe environment is one where we feel safe to bring our whole selves to work: our lived experiences, our unique characteristics and personality, and our interests.
Feeling psychologically safe at work means we do not feel as though we need to mask our authentic selves, hide our full selves, or pretend to be someone we are not.
In a psychologically safe work environment, we (neurodivergent employees) feel safe to admit we don’t know something, point out a mistake, highlight areas for development, speak up and talk about special work-related interests or challenge the views of people within the organisation (regardless of their position). Psychologically safe work environments can help boost problem-solving, diversity, teamwork, innovation, and creativity (Delizonna, 2017; Edmondson, 2020; Clark, 2020)
How to build the foundations for a psychologically safe work environment
Dr. Timothy Clark, author of The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation, found that in order to achieve a feeling of belonging, we need to progress through 4 different stages.
Below we will explore these 4 stages.
Stage 1- Inclusion Safety
Inclusion safety encompasses the basic need to connect and belong. No matter where we are – at work, home or in social settings – we want to feel accepted and then heard. When we are invited into a community, such as a workplace, we develop a shared identity.
‘Inclusion safety allows us to gain membership within a social unit and interact with its members without fear of rejection, embarrassment, or punishment, boosting confidence, resilience, and independence’ (Berrett-Koehler, March 2020).
If inclusion safety is achieved, we will feel safe to be ourselves and are accepted for who we are, including our unique attributes and defining characteristics.
On the other hand, if inclusion safety is not achieved, it can feel debilitating to us ((Berrett-Koehler, March 2020).
‘When we create inclusion and safety for others, regardless of our differences, we acknowledge our common humanity and reject false theories of superiority and arrogant strains of elitism’ (Berrett-Koehler, March 2020).
Stage 2 – Learner Safety
Learner safety encompasses our need to learn and grow as individuals and as professionals. Learner safety enables us to feel safe when we are asking questions, receiving feedback and making mistakes when we make them (Berrett-Koehler, March 2020).
Learning is not only an intellectual process, but it is also an emotional and personal experience. We share our perspectives, analysis and views. Therefore, anxiety and insecurities are inherent in any learning process as we face the unknown unknowns, try something new, and expand our knowledge and skills.
‘When we sense learner safety, we’re more willing to be vulnerable, take risks, and develop resilience in the learning process’ (Berrett-Koehler, March 2020). We feel safe in learning, we are more likely to engage in knowledge exchange and critical discussion.
On the other hand, 'a lack of learner safety triggers the self-censoring instinct, causing us to shut down, retrench and manage personal risk’ (Berrett-Koehler, March 2020).
Stage 3- Contributor Safety
Contributor Safety encompasses the human need to contribute and make a difference – as social workers, we often join the profession to make a difference in individual lives and within communities. Exemplifying the need to ensure contributor safety.
If contributor safety is achieved, we feel safe and able to use our skills to make a meaningful contribution. We feel able and enthusiastic to apply our knowledge. We feel able to contribute ideas and knowledge to our team and the wider organisation.
The more we contribute, the more confidence and competence we develop.
Stage 4 – Challenger Safety
Challenger Safety encompasses our need to analyse and ‘make things better’ (Berrett-Koehler, March 2020).
Challenger safety enables us to challenge without fear of repercussions, retaliation, or damage to our reputation. We might challenge by asking “Why do we do it this way?”, “Have you sought the young person’s views”, “Was this made in collaboration with the family and support network?” or “What if we tried this?”.
‘Challenger safety provides respect and permission to dissent and disagrees when we think something needs to change and it’s time to say so. It allows us to overcome the pressure to conform and gives us a license to innovate and be creative’ (Berrett-Koehler, March 2020).
As social workers achieving these 4 levels is vital to ensure our practice meets the needs of the people we work with.
If you are wondering how you can foster a psychologically safe work environment for neurodivergent employees, please continue reading this series. During episode 5 we will explore how we can create psychologically safe work environments for neurodivergent social workers.
Check-in next week to explore why feeling psychologically safe in social work is important, how it can impact our practice and how it impacts the people we work with.
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