Challenge Tips

Day 4 - Cultivate a Safe and Open Workplace in Team Conversations

A psychologically safe workplace empowers employees to ask questions, suggest changes, innovate, and grow without fear of consequences, like losing their job. When you work with your team, do you notice people asking questions and requesting help in a group setting? Do team members discuss tough topics as a group in a healthy and constructive way?

When people pretend to know everything or avoid bringing up difficult subjects, they do not feel psychologically safe. In a health care setting, this can lead to mistrust and strained team dynamics, which impact patient care.

Your Action for Today

Encourage psychological safety within your unit or team conversations. Try one or more of these tactics:

• Invite your team member to share an idea with the group if you notice them hesitating.
• Lead by example — ask questions and acknowledge your mistakes. Be open to feedback. If you’re in a management position, show that learning is encouraged.
• Support colleagues when they admit to a mistake. Express your appreciation and offer to work together to fix the problem.
• Validate a colleague’s concerns the next time they speak up. Use language like, “That’s a great point,” or “I appreciate your perspective.”

By intentionally creating an environment of psychological safety and open communication, you can help enhance both patient care and workplace well-being.

Join us on day 5: A sneak peek - Set boundaries that protect your mental and emotional well-being.

Missed day 3? Catch up here.