“I don’t feel comfortable around them, I never know what to expect.”

“I’m scared of sharing my ideas because I don’t know how my leader is going to react.”

“I find it hard to work with them because their behaviour changes all the time.”

These are some of the lines I have recently heard when speaking to clients about leaders in their workplaces. In today’s fast-paced work environments, leaders face the daunting task of fostering psychological safety within their teams. These essential elements lay the foundation for innovation, collaboration, and high performance. However, this can all come tumbling down without leaders demonstrating behavioural consistency.

Pioneered by researcher Amy Edmondson, psychological safety refers to “a shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking.” It is an environment in which team members feel safe to express ideas, admit mistakes and be their authentic selves without fear of ridicule or retribution. This is vital for fostering open communication, collaboration, and team performance. Demonstrating behavioural consistency is one way that leaders may reinforce psychological safety.

Behavioural consistency refers to the ability of leaders to maintain a consistent set of values, principles, and actions across different situations and interactions. It serves as the foundation for building trust, establishing clear expectations, and fostering positive team dynamics. When leaders exhibit consistency in their behaviour, it sends a powerful message to team members that they can anticipate their responses. It sets clear expectations and establishes a framework for interaction within the team.

Behavioural consistency can contribute to psychological safety by:

Creating Predictability: Behavioural consistency provides predictability, enabling team members to understand how leaders will respond in different situations. This predictability reduces anxiety and fosters a sense of stability within the team, increasing the likelihood of team members feeling comfortable to speak up.

Establishing Trust: When leaders behave consistently, team members develop a sense of trust and reliability. This trust forms the bedrock of psychological safety, as team members can feel confident that their ideas will be respected, even if they differ from the norm, and won’t result in negative consequences. This can enhance communication and collaboration, as team members are more likely to offer support, share information freely, and collaborate without hesitation.

At Steople, we recognise the critical role of psychological safety in team success. We specialise in helping leaders and teams build a culture that prioritises these fundamental aspects. We work directly with leaders or teams to cultivate a supportive environment where psychological safety and trust thrive. Here’s how our approach can benefit your organisation:

Leadership Development: We provide leadership development programs that equip leaders with the necessary skills to model consistent behaviour and foster psychological safety and trust. These programs focus on self-awareness, communication, and building authentic relationships.

Team Workshops: Our team workshops focus on creating a shared understanding of psychological safety and trust. We facilitate discussions, provide practical tools, and guide teams in developing strategies to strengthen these elements within their specific context.

Ongoing Support: We offer ongoing coaching and support to leaders and teams, ensuring that the principles of psychological safety and trust are embedded in day-to-day interactions. Our experienced coaches provide guidance, feedback, and accountability to sustain the desired cultural shift.

If you would like to find out more about how to enhance psychological safety in your teams through demonstrating behavioural consistency, contact Steople to set up a time to talk.