WIL Talk #107 Vicky Smith, Senior Consultant at Working Well

How do you and your organization build a culture of psychologically safe space enabling more human connection and trust? Join us as we speak with Vicky Smith about her research and work on this ever-important topic and the shift that is needed urgently. Vicky has her Masters in Organisational Development, Psychology, and Applied Health and Exercise, she is currently working on her PhD researching psychological safety in organizations. She is also qualified as an NLP trainer, psychotherapist, and executive coach. As you can see from her bio, she is an avid and lifelong learner.  She is also the co-author of “Brave New Leader”.During our discussion, we dive into the acceleration of change taking place and how there is little to no stability, many not knowing what the future holds and how difficult that can be for many. She emphasized the pressure that is mounting for people and the need for a better balance between pressure and performance. Individuals struggle with the choices between family and work, lacking boundaries and needing to check in with themselves and what best serves them. While organizations are hanging on by the fingernails, attempting to stay competitive, and lots of cost-cutting, the pressure is pushed down to the people and then the pressure escalates.  Some of her tips are for creating a culture of expression, one that is trusting and can be trusted. Treating people as people and finding their strengths. Teams don’t work in isolation so that encourages building relationships throughout the organization. The need to pay attention to the eye-rolling, backstabbing or gossiping, and side glances all give you clues to what is going on. So that’s when we need to slow it down and determine the pinch point and the culture shift required. What is the culture we have created implied or explicit? Being aware of those subtleties can start to shift and gain buy-in from the teams. But also, there is a need for candid conversations with the intent to support. Feedback is a Gift!!! Would love to hear your thoughts on the conversation and what you see happening in your organization. Interested in learning more about your leadership capabilities? Take our free leadership quiz at www.wilempowered.com to learn what might be holding you back.