As a behavior research novice but with over 20 years of pondering, my primary focus has been designing an effective intervention method to address problematic behavior within teams. Specifically, I have been working on a solution to manage unfair naysaying or browbeating instances, which can stifle collaboration and prevent team members from sharing their ideas.
Rethinking Psychological Safety: Moving Beyond Leaders as the Solution
Workplace spats, disputes and conflicts are common, with over 60% involving employees and managers. Psychological safety is often discussed as a solution to this and many more issues, with most experts recommending that leaders be responsible for fostering this culture.
Start at the End: Knowing How to Address Being Browbeaten
The End that I had some 20 years ago was "knowing how to address being browbeaten." My younger brother was guilty of doing this when I would tell him a radical idea. "Erk!! That'll never work!!". At the time, it seemed we needed a way to address this browbeating behavior.
Psychological Safety – Devil in the Detail
However, talk is cheap, but achieving psychological safety requires more than lofty rhetoric and platitudes, the devil is in the detail. We think it’s going to require pragmatic actions, such as changing the behavioral structure of companies to be more democratic in how we interact and treat each other during difficult discussions.
The Golden Rule Error
The Golden Rule Error The golden rule is a moral principle commonly understood as "treat others as you would like to be treated." This rule is often attributed to Jesus a couple of thousand years ago and has been a central tenet of many religions and ethical systems throughout history. The golden rule encourages individuals... Continue Reading →
Devine Intervention – SpatzAI
Devine Intervention - SpatzAI When it comes to storytelling, it can often feel like no truly "new" ideas are left. After all, we have told stories for thousands of years, and, likely, almost every possible plot point, character arc, and twist ending has been explored at some point. But the beauty of storytelling lies not... Continue Reading →
A Naysaying Intervention Paradox
I'm developing a radically new AI-powered toolkit that helps teams effectively tackle situations where someone tries to quash their radically new idea...so funny!
Cause and Effect – Behavior and Psychological Safety
Cause & Effect - Cart Before Horse The relationship between behavior and psychological safety is complex, and it can be challenging to establish a clear cause-and-effect relationship. However, experts generally agree that behavior is crucial in creating and maintaining a psychologically safe environment. The following is the sort of standard hyperbolae that most psychology experts... Continue Reading →
Intervention vs Prevention for Poor Behavior in Teams
Intervention and prevention are two approaches to address poor behavior in the workplace. Most psychological safety experts promote prevention; however, every day, people are dealing with poor behavior in the workplace and need help NOW! It could take years before preventative measures kick in, yet no one seems to be promoting a standard intervention procedure... Continue Reading →
Clean the Fish Vs Clean the Fishbowl
It's time to clean the fishbowl, not the fish On LinkedIn, so many psychological safety experts suggest that changing managers' behavior is the key to changing their employees' behavior. However, I see this approach as akin to cleaning the fish instead of cleaning the fishbowl. It's important to differentiate between educating people to change their... Continue Reading →
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