INSIGHT KIM Matters
A conversation about psychological safety in knowledge management
I
AM looking forward to Chairing the panel discussion at CILIP Conference this year on the topic of psychological safety and how knowledge managers can help foster a culture where lessons can be learned from mistakes and near-misses, and staff are unafraid to speak up. Here, I talk to Paula Reid, Knowledge Partner at A&L Goodbody, for a chat about her experiences of fostering a psychologically safe workplace.
What does psychological safety in the workplace mean to you? How is it different to friendly and egalitarian workplaces? PR – An egalitarian, and presumably, friendly workplace will reflect the values and behaviours typically associated with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). It is a workplace committed to equality and respect across, but not limited to: race; ethnicity; gender; disability and sexual orientation. Organisations which endorse and promote DEI values will most likely go some way to building a psychologically safe workplace. While a workforce will see efforts to drive inclusion, psychological safety must be felt by a workforce – it is a personal experience.
Wellbeing is a part of psychological safety. Trust is the bedrock to building psychological safety so that people are not just comfortable being themselves, but are equally comfortable calling out behaviours which run counter to values based on inclusion, respect and dignity. In addition to firm policies and
campaigns, leaders need to build this trust through their actions. A psychologically safe workplace is one where leaders exhibit an interest in understanding the experience of their workforce in relation to inclusion and respect and a willingness to make the changes necessary to improve that experience. It is also one where negative behaviours are not tolerated or rewarded.
16 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
What do you think are the benefits for knowledge sharing of your law firm being a psychologically safe place?
Law firms which succeed with knowledge sharing have generally created a culture where people will share knowledge without fear of their work product being criticised or second guessed. In the past, this basic human concern often presented a real barrier to knowledge sharing, but over recent years, such concerns are perhaps less common. However, that said, a psychologically safe workplace can only have positive impacts on knowledge sharing, not just in the context of sharing of tangible work product, but also in ensuring that people will not feel guarded or inhibited about asking questions.
Curiosity is an important aspect of knowledge sharing. Questions are a catalyst for unlocking knowledge, in particular, tacit knowledge of senior lawyers. It is easy for an organisation to declare “there is no question too basic”. It is critical for the workplace to model this message through its culture and behaviours.
It is also fair to say that, while in the past, failure to contribute knowledge might not have been judged too negatively, the current focus on inclusion, workforce resilience and collaboration has perhaps helped foster a mind-set that knowledge sharing is “the right thing to do”; in particular, in a law firm where the business model is centred on people and their expertise.
For those leaders who want to ensure their teams feel comfortable speaking out but haven’t begun addressing this yet, what top tips do you have for them about where they should start? A Leaders need to exhibit authenticity and empathy in their leadership roles.
1. A more proactive approach to the “open door” policy is required so that
Hélène Russell (
helenerussell@theknowledgebusiness.co.uk) runs The Knowledge Business and is Chair of CILIP’s K&IM Group.
leaders do not wait for their teams to approach them. Instead they should actively encourage and invite teams to “share their stories”, including stories about negative experiences.
2. As a build on the above, leaders need to show that they are listening to their workforce and are taking appropriate actions to address behaviours which may adversely impact a psychologically safe environment.
3. There is a natural instinct to lead by reference to one’s own experience. While there is a place for the wisdom that often accompanies experience, it is important for leaders to sense check and interrogate whether their experience and judgment are aligned with the emerging expectations of younger generations which are rightly focused on responsible business and values based on DEI. IP
Thanks Paula for sharing your experiences at A&L Goodbody with us. I’d love to hear from our readers about experiences of creating a culture of non-judgemental learning to support
candour. Email me at:
helenerussell@theknowledgebusiness.co.uk, or join me at CILIP Conference on 12-13 July, by booking your place at
www.cilipconference.org.uk
June 2023
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While a workforce will see efforts to drive inclusion, psychological safety must be felt by a workforce... – Paula Reid
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