Research indicates that people work more effectively and achieve superior results in an environment of psychological safety.
How do you create and cultivate psychological safety in a multicultural, virtual, or hybrid environment? As project managers, we establish working agreements and ground rules with our teams. However, communicating across different teams with diverse social and cultural backgrounds can be challenging. One of the most delicate situations is giving negative feedback. Here is an example:
a) Americans tend to give relatively direct feedback,
b) Germans are known for being extremely direct in giving negative feedback,
c) The Japanese emphasize harmony and avoiding confrontation
(see The Culture Map by Erin Meyer
https://www.amazon.com/Culture-Map-Breakin.../dp/1610392507)
Can you share examples of how you recognize cultural nuances to create an environment where people feel respected, heard and safe to take risks (in virtual and hybrid settings)?
Amy Edmondson is a Professor of Leadership, Teaming, and Organizational Learning at Harvard Business School. In one of her early research papers, titled "Learning from Mistakes is Easier Said Than Done," she examined the error rates of medical teams in hospitals. The study revealed that the more effective teams had higher error rates compared to others, which may seem counterintuitive. However, this was not because they made more mistakes; rather, these teams were more willing to acknowledge and report their errors. They experienced a sense of psychological safety that allowed them to discuss and learn from their mistakes. This willingness to confront errors is what set them apart as superior teams.
Please review Forbes's article, "Psychological Safety: Take A Risk With No Penalty Or Punishment." Here is the link:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rodgerdeandun...punishment/
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