You've probably heard of Psychological Safety by now- the collective perception that a workspace is safe enough to take risks, express ideas and be honest.
It's not hard to imagine the benefits of a safe workplace. Innovation, resilience, authenticity, and productivity, among other desirable outcomes, are cultivated with ease in such spaces.
However, just as there can be feelings of safety and comfort, Psychological danger can also be present. In contrast, this is a collective perception that work is risky; affecting how transparent, engaged, and innovative employees are. It's often a place where communication is rather poor.
Recognizing these signs of danger is crucial, but they often lurk in silence, making them difficult to identify. This is precisely why we have dedicated an entire module to this topic in our online course, "Psychological Safety Spaces," which forms part of our Failure Program for companies.
We will briefly highlight four symptoms- among many others- that indicate the presence of psychological danger within a workspace.
Have you ever had the need to hide part of your identity at work or show a filtered version of yourself to your colleagues? If so, you may have experienced a phenomenon called covering (or concealment).
Coined by sociologist Erving Goffman in 1963, 'covering' refers to the practice of hiding, inhibiting, masking, or imitating certain personality traits in order to conform to a social group that holds more power.
Covering happens because of the expectations of what one 'should be' as companies often pressure individuals to adopt a narrow, 'acceptable' image that aligns with the company's values and culture.
This phenomenon can manifest in various ways, from covering up tattoos with clothing to avoid making a negative impression, concealing aspects of our lifestyle, or even avoiding talking about our partner(s) to hide our sexual orientations at work. The list goes on but you get it.
The act of covering kills diversity and divergent thinking, which are essential for encouraging and fostering innovation, enriching conversations, and gaining valuable insights to help that might otherwise go unnoticed.
The concept of "covering your ass", refers to a tactic used by workers and organizations to share and deflect blame, or distance themselves from responsibility in the event of a failure or mistake.
This phenomenon is usually present in large-scale projects where the stakes are high, leading employees to refrain from claiming full responsibility for crucial aspects of a project.
It can also involve engaging in unethical actions to protect oneself and avoid potential problems, such as manipulating data to produce favorable results even if they are unreliable.
CYA is particularly prevalent in highly regulated or bureaucratic organizations where multiple layers of oversight exist, increasing the likelihood of unforeseen events. In such hierarchical environments, individuals become part of an extensive chain, challenging maintaining control of every link.
The primary motivation behind CYA is to avoid potential criticism in the event of project failure and to minimize the risk of legal actions or other sanctions. However, this phenomenon undermines the level of responsibility and commitment within work teams and hinders the willingness to take risks for the sake of improvement and innovation.
'Quiet Quitting' or 'Silent Quitting' refers to a subtle form of disengagement from work. But it's more than that- it's a rebellion against the normalization and culture of overwork.
This phenomenon has gained momentum among the Z and Millennial generations, where people are seriously reconsidering the relationship they have with their work; not only by doing what is strictly necessary to keep their job, but by renouncing the hustle culture and leaving behind the idea that work should be the center of their life.
Quiet quitting does not mean that an employee is going to quit his job, but rather that he limits his tasks and time to what is strictly stipulated in his contract. In other words, it is about doing just enough to fulfill your job and setting clear boundaries to balance it with your private life.
This new way of perceiving the world of work totally rejects "putting on the shirt", "running the extra mile" or "giving 110%", as we say in Latin America to working overtime without pay or getting involved in projects that are not part of the position.
Although it is a healthy practice for employees to set boundaries between their professional-personal life and for employers to also respect this boundary, Quiet Quitting implies keeping silent and not generating healthy conversations due to a lack of trust and perception of danger in the company.
Lastly, the term "groupthink" refers to situations in which employees within a group conform to the collective opinion, even if it contradicts their own values and viewpoints.
The Common Knowledge Effect emerges from this concept, where only information shared by all members is recognized and prioritized while disregarding opposing opinions or perspectives.
The cohesiveness of a group plays a significant role in shaping decision-making, as judgments tend to revolve around the central opinion of the group, regardless of whether it is grounded in factual evidence. This limits individuals' ability to leverage their unique sources of information.
The consequences of groupthink and the Common Knowledge Effect are pretty bad, as can they lead to poor and irrational decisions by disregarding the diversity of opinions within a group.
In conclusion...
These are just some of the symptoms that manifest in psychologically unsafe work environments, greatly impacting daily operations and limiting opportunities for innovation.
This content is part of our Failure Program, specifically our online course on Psychological Safe Spaces for companies. In this course, we delve deeper into additional indicators of psychological danger and explore strategies for creating safe workspaces through transparency and vulnerability.
If you are interested in revitalizing your organizational culture, please fill out this form and share your objectives. The Failure Program is customizable, tailored to meet your specific needs ;)
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