Human Resources Director at Flynn Restaurant Group

Jennifer Opphile

Imagine if we measured success by the amount of safety that people felt in our presence. - Rebecca Hershberg, Ph.D.

The pandemic has changed the landscape of the workforce, burnout and mental health concerns have increased significantly. How do we prepare our leadership for these challenges?

I believe that this begins with creating a psychologically safe environment for your team and modeling vulnerability as a leader. Psychological safety is not a new term, but it has become more prevalent in recent years.

With an increase in remote work, creating this connection can be challenging, and it does take time. It is vital to connect with your team members and create an environment where they can feel safe sharing with you. Take the time to understand them as a whole person, what is important to them, what are their personal or professional goals. I always share with my leaders that this does not mean they need to share their (or your) innermost, deepest, darkest secrets, but it should be acceptable to share with your leader when you are going through something. I often think about my career and my evolution in HR- I couldn’t tell you anything about my previous leaders, nor could they tell you about me. I compare this to my team now, how we have grown, and what they share with me when they are anxious, upset, or burnt out. They share their joys in their life and when they are struggling. I offer empathy, flexibility, and the understanding that they are human and there is more to life than the hours they spend with me at work. Most leaders would panic if someone told them that they are burnt out. I see this as a positive interaction with your team members, they felt safe enough to tell you, and now you can work with them; the alternative is they resign, and you have no idea why.

" It is vital to connect with your team members and create an environment where they can feel safe sharing with you "

The other side of psychological safety is to show vulnerability yourself. For most people, the pandemic was a crash course in vulnerability- the world was changing; everything was uncertain, and people were scared. Creating a space where it is okay to say, “I messed up… I dropped the ball… I don’t know.” My team appreciates it when I say, ‘I don’t know,’ or when I say that I am struggling.  By creating this space where it’s acceptable to say, ‘I made a mistake’ or ‘I am going through something,’ they are less likely to be afraid to come and tell me they need more time on a project or that things are bubbling up and causing them stress.

Be genuine when asking team members to share. If you are only looking for positive feedback from them- don’t ask. Do not get defensive when receiving feedback from your team, and be open to listening to their perspective, create a space where sharing is valued and appreciated.

Create an environment where your team can make mistakes, speak up, share ideas, ask questions, and express concern without feeling humiliated or laughed at—that is where I want to work—don’t you? Teams that feel safe are more engaged, provide open, honest feedback, show increased productivity and have less turnover.