Episode #65: How to Create Psychological Safety at Work: Small Leadership Practices That Build Trust, Respect, and Performance cover art

Episode #65: How to Create Psychological Safety at Work: Small Leadership Practices That Build Trust, Respect, and Performance

Episode #65: How to Create Psychological Safety at Work: Small Leadership Practices That Build Trust, Respect, and Performance

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 $2.7 billion a day. That's what U.S. workplaces lose in productivity when people don't feel emotionally or psychologically safe. Psychological safety isn't a policy. It's the everyday experience of being able to speak up, ask questions, admit mistakes, challenge assumptions, and be fully ourselves at work. In this conversation, Altus Growth Partners executive coaches Steven Jones, Ellen Burton, and Lara Guille explore how leaders build that safety through small, intentional practices: curiosity before correction, deep listening, open-ended and consent-based questions, and the courage to address workplace incivility with care. Leaders have a profound opportunity to create cultures where respect is lived, responsibility is shared, and people can contribute their best. If you lead others, this conversation will help you lead in a way that strengthens trust, belonging, and performance, starting with your next conversation. Key Moments You'll Want to Hear 00:56: The key message of psychological safety: a daily practice that leaders set in motion. 02:12: The subtle behaviors that erode trust, belonging, and performance 07:33: Billions in lost productivity and human potential. This is the cost of disrespect. 10:08: How tone and language become the real workplace culture. 11:42: What does it really mean to show courage in the workplace? 14:14: The two questions leaders should start their day with: What do my people need today? What is mine to do? 21:15: When people don't feel valued, they don't just "quiet quit." They stop offering their best thinking. 23:57: How unprocessed pain shapes workplace culture more than you think. 27:30: How practicing curiosity before correction opens possibilities. 31:09: The universal truth: every person wants to know they matter. 31:59: How micro acknowledgements grow trust, safety, and belonging. By the end of this conversation, you'll hear answers to: How can I create psychological safety on my team? Psychological safety is built through daily practice. By asking open-ended questions, listening without interruption, and using consent language, such as "Are you open to talking with me about this?", a leader can demonstrate genuine care and a sense of belonging. Timestamp: 27:30–31:59 What are the benefits of psychological safety at work? When people feel safe to speak up and contribute, organizations see higher engagement, retention, innovation, and productivity, and significantly fewer sick days linked to stress and witnessed incivility. Timestamp: 07:42–10:08 How do I address disrespect or incivility at work without shaming people? Instead of correcting behavior through blame, ask, "Does this behavior show care for your colleague?" This reframes accountability as alignment with what the person says they care about, which builds responsibility, not defensiveness. Timestamp: 16:29–18:30 Whenever we can create more safety for others, we also create more safety for ourselves. About Altus Growth Partners At Altus, we partner with CEOs and leadership teams who are serious about growth and willing to engage in new kinds of conversations to produce better results. We care deeply about helping leaders and teams collaborate more effectively, navigate complexity with confidence, and foster a culture where people thrive. It's in these environments that challenges are met with curiosity, people bring out the best in one another, and progress is anchored in shared purpose. Because when leaders and teams are truly working together, they expand what's possible and the meaningful impact they can make in their lives, their organizations, and the world around them. You can find Altus Growth Partners on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altus-growth-partners/ About the Book Growing Groups Into Teams: How do you turn a group of individuals into a highly effective, productive team? Growing Groups Into Teams is an unusually useful book written by a team of generative consultants and coaches who have helped thousands of groups become effective teams. Through real-life stories combined with pragmatic advice, this book strengthens your ability to see what's needed and take effective action: What two promises turn a group into a team. How to engage people to make those promises. How to invite responsibility and accountability. How to include and inspire people across differences. How to build and rebuild trust, and more! Regardless of how productive your teams are today, the insights in this book will help you grow to the next level to drive your business or organization forward. Order your copy today! Order from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Groups-into-Teams-Real-life-ebook/dp/B0CJLC23VS Order directly: https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?l8SxF4Aexn9gq08iz7jFBbwutleujrftoZ2wAOFzCVH If you're looking to expand your leadership influence, shift your results, and develop a highly engaged, accountable team, we'd love to talk to you. Schedule a conversation...
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