By Heather Cardosi
January 6th, 2024
“Cultivating psychological safety within the project team by creating trust and setting the ground rules for all the team members is critical for project success,” says Martinez Gonzalez. “It will encourage innovation, reduce risks by increasing transparency, and drive internal accountability.”1
Psychological safety refers to the ability to speak up without fear of reprimand or humiliation. Stepping forward to share ideas and potential solutions creates moments of vulnerability, and as a project manager, it is your job to cultivate that vulnerable moment. Sharing those moments enables teams to find each other's strengths, which, when used together, closes the window of team failure.
A good starting point is to ensure team members learn about each other through a team meeting. Conduct this in person if possible. Otherwise, use a virtual meeting, asking everyone to have their cameras on and all other windows closed. They need to give their full attention to the meeting. No multi-tasking allowed. Dedicate the meeting to team bonding, starting the meeting with an explanation of why you are all there, and then actually start the conversation.
Start talking about yourself, only briefly touch on technical skills, focusing on life outside of work. Where do you come from? What family might you have? Share at least one strength and one weakness. Be willing to be the first vulnerable person in the room. Doing so not only shows your team what you are asking them to do, it shows them you are a person too. You are a part of the team, not just its leader. Then, ask that they do the same. Giving them your full attention shows you value their words and experiences. You see them.
As team members hear what each other has to say, they will start to understand who their team member is as a person. What have they gone through, and why they might react in a certain way. Seeing each other as people and not just skill sets or task assignments.
Your ability to lead the team will also grow. A better understanding of your team's people will help you craft ground rules and identify better communication strategies. What may have seemed as intentionally obstructive behavior prior may now be realized as someone who has trouble handling change and needs a little additional help. Maybe you were saying something they were taking the wrong way and feeling defensive.
These are all possibilities that wouldn't be noticed if everyone hadn't taken the time to be vulnerable. Learning from each other that it is OK to be seen and heard. That together, with your guidance, the team is safe, strong, and capable.
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