Psychological Safety

About

The safety of staff has always been critically important to ensure council WHS standards and procedures are front of mind. Psychological Safety isn’t always given equal attention, yet it carries equal weighting in the WHS Act and poses a big risk for councils around adverse-action and other negative outcomes.  It is becoming more and more important that leaders have the skills to ensure they manage a psychologically safe workplace.

Psychological Safety is an environment where employees feel included and safe to learn, contribute, challenge ideas and challenge decisions. They are able to voice their concerns without fear of punishment, embarrassment, or being marginalised.  By learning the skills to create the right climate, mindset, and behaviour within their teams, leaders can create a safer work environment, increase employee wellbeing and achieve higher performance.

The Psychological Safety Course explores this important topic and guides leaders through the stages of creating a psychologically safe workplace.  Leaders will learn the skills essential to each stage so they can immediately implement them in the workplace and track their progress.

Who Should Attend

This course would benefit all leaders including senior leaders, managers, supervisors, and team leaders, as well as any influential team members that would support the implementation of course material.

Upcoming Dates

We are offering this as an online training session, to satisfy different learning preferences and improve access for all staff.

The online option will be set in two hour modules delivered over three days across three consecutive weeks.  This allows application of the learning content to be applied as the program progresses and makes the course accessible for more remote learners.

Program Outline

The program outline and outcomes are the same for online and in-person delivery, only the format and order might change.  Each program will cover the four stages of Psychological Safety: inclusion, learner, contributor and challenger safety, and the associated actions and behaviours that are aligned to each stage.

Topics include:

• Introduction to psychological safety and its importance in the workplace
• Understanding the ongoing benefits to the employer and employee for creating a psychologically safe culture
• Regulatory and compliance requirements
• Exploring the difference between psychosocial hazards and psychological safety
• The four stages of Psychological Safety evidence based model
• Understanding the consequences of exclusive and inclusive actions and behaviours in the workplace
• Threat detection and how it stifles ability to contribute fully
• Unconscious bias gaps and impact on inclusion
• The creation of a learning culture within an organisation
• The fundamental human need for growth and contribution
• Exploring the benefits of innovation when reaching challenger safety

Benefits for the Delegate

Participants will gain the skills essential to create a psychologically safe workplace, to increase employee wellbeing and performance at council.

Benefits for Council

Council will benefit from this program by developing skilled leaders who will help shape a psychologically safe workplace culture, where all employees can contribute and thrive in their role.