In 2012, Google did extensive research to identify and evaluate the key factors that make great teams successful.
Based on the findings of Project Aristotle, Google reported that it was not as important who was on the team, but how the team worked together. In fact, psychological safety was considered to be the #1 most important factor.
According to Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson, psychological safety is “a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes.”
Intertwined with trust and vulnerability, psychological safety is when team members feel safe to take risks and let down their guard in front of each other.
In the facilitation world, Connection before Content is a common mantra. Before we can dive into deep learning or brainstorming, it is essential that we create the space for connection, personal sharing, and trust-building. It not only creates a nice, warm, and inviting atmosphere, but it ensures we can dive into the hard work later on because the group feels comfortable sharing.
In the world of experiential learning theory, connection before content permeates through much more than just connecting activities but setting up the learning space. This is not necessarily a physical place, but constructs of the learner’s experience in the social (and now digital) environment.
While it may be easier to create an environment for psychological safety when you meet face-to-face, it is essential for all online facilitators to learn tools and tricks to create this space in the virtual setting too!
Taking the learning space into consideration in the typical Zoom space is more important now than ever for cultivating and fostering psychological safety online and with hybrid groups.
Join us on Wed 14 July 5:00 pm (US EDT) for a free 60-minute workshop as we dive into fun activities, games and key tips for facilitators to heighten the psychological safety of your experiential programs online.
Register Here
By the end of this highly interactive webinar/workshop, you will be able to:
Numbers are limited, so don’t miss out – register today.
Original post July 2021, last updated July 2021.