Dr. Kortni (01:03)
Happy Wellbeing Wednesday. Welcome to the Compassionate Newsroom. I'm your host, Dr. Kortni Well, today's episode, we're gonna talk about an article that really inspired me. And it's published in the Harvard Business Review. it's titled, What People Get Wrong About Psychological Safety. And it talks about the six misconceptions that have led
organizations astray. And we're going to focus in on one of the takeaways from this, but I will certainly post the article in the show notes for you to read more. But one of the things I love about this, it has us really thinking about the value and then also how to foster psychological safety.
One of things that I also value, it gives you an understanding as leaders, all of us as leaders, in terms of what that needs to look like and how we should process it. So let's talk about what it means and how you can bring it to life in your newsroom. what is psychological safety? At its core, it's a shared belief that a team is safe.
for interpersonal risk-taking. It also means that you can speak up, you can offer ideas, you can ask questions, even admit mistakes without fear, without fear of embarrassment or retribution. Now in journalism, where we're constantly managing deadlines and making judgment calls and researching complex stories, psychological safety is not only beneficial, it's really vital.
But here's the misunderstanding. Many think it can be created just by implementing a policy. It's one of the reasons why I love this article so much. It really challenges us that it's not just how it works. It doesn't work that way. You just can't say, well, we value psychological safety and expect it to flourish.
You have to model it. You has to be moment by moment and interaction by interaction. in fact, trying to enforce it, making people feel less likely to speak candidly is not the way to go. Instead, we need to treat psychological safety as a cultural practice, something that's lived and not just simply legislated.
So if you're a newsroom leader, here are some practical tools highlighted in the article that could help you cultivate psychological safety for your team. And I like to call it the three M's. I really treasure what this article shares. First one is messaging. Be honest about the challenges your team is facing. Encourage openness. Let your team know that learning is expected.
And mistakes are part of that process. It's one of the things I love about a growth mindset is valuing the process. The second one is modeling. Show your team what it looks like to listen deeply, ask questions and say, I don't know. When you lead with humility, others follow with honesty. And the third one is mentoring. Offer feedback.
not just on performance, but on how people engage. Celebrate those who encourage others to speak up and guide those who may unintentionally silence them.
So I love this because it's really talking about the value of how to cultivate a culture that values psychological safety. Many organizations use surveys to kind of gauge psychological safety. Some statements like, it safe to take a risk on this team?
If you make a mistake, it's not held against you. But remember, these are just starting points. Surveys are not simply the solution, but they're invitations for deeper conversation. Use data to ask, where are we thriving? Where are we struggling? And what do we need to do next? I love this. I'm not sure if I've shared this in past episodes, but
I remember serving as a trainer for an organization. And one of things that I really valued about the organization came in wanting to have me train as relates to workplace wellbeing. And normally we have a conversation and I find out what the needs are, but this organization was just incredible because it had.
such great data from their teams, surveys they've done, focus groups they've done. And one of things I really valued is that when they shared this information with me, I really got a great idea on how to guide the training, but I really just valued seeing the depths of what they worked to achieve.
by talking to their teams, by getting more information. And also the interesting part was the teams sharing what they need. I really value that idea in regards to understanding what does the organization need by asking the people who are part of the organization. So here's what, one of the things I want you to remember.
Psychological safety doesn't live in a policy manual. It lives in our choices. It lives in our choices, our words, our actions, our willingness to build trust, one interaction at a time. And as a leader, your influence goes beyond deadlines and deliverables. You create a climate where your team either feels free or fears to fall out.
I'll repeat that, right? Where your team either feels free or fears the fallout. It's very important. Have you ever worked in an environment where fear was a part of the culture? And I want you to think about how effective you were in that environment. So there's such a value to feeling free.
And fear, there's just no place for it. So lead differently. Let's lead with my favorite term, right? Compassionately. It's so important so we can all build psychological safe workplaces where people feel free and fear has no place.
If this episode sparked something for you, share it with a colleague. And if you want to read that full article, I will definitely include the link in the show notes. That's what people get wrong about psychological safety published in the Harvard Business Review. I hope this episode has inspired you and your team. I can't wait to speak to you again next week. Always remember this.
Your wellbeing is your most important job and I'm always here to help.
Dr. Kortni (08:17)
for tuning into the Compassionate Newsroom podcast. Together we can transform workplace wellbeing in news. If you found value in today's episode, please share it with a colleague to help foster a supportive environment in the industry. And don't forget to subscribe and also visit our website for more resources at thecompassionatenewsroom.com.
