Creating diversity in and around the workplace should not be a chore for businesses. It should not be ticking a box, getting X amount of a particular demographic into certain roles. Instead, our focus should be on creating belonging. 

In session six of Saroca’s LeadHERship program, we discussed belonging – how we create workplaces that acknowledge individual needs and cater to them.  

DEIB and psychological safety 

Diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging (DEIB) is the concept of using various parts of an organisation, be it talent management, leadership structures or processes, to create a workplace where staff feel psychologically safe. Psychological safety means environments that champion equal access, fair decision making and opportunities for development, in turn resulting in staff that are more engaged and committed to an organisation.  

A psychologically safe workplace creates a feeling of a home away from home, a place where staff feel heard, seen and understood. A place where they belong. 

Creating psychological safety in the workplace is a task that must be taken on by individuals and applied to the fields they work in – creating belonging isn’t something that can be forced with the implementation of initiatives. If you work in performance management, creating psychological safety may include giving those you manage space to make mistakes without the fear of being berated. For talent acquisition, it may mean seeking out those who show potential for internal development programs, or those that have a keen interest in a career rather than just ‘a job.’ 

We all have a duty to make our workplace a safe one. 

Why does it matter? 

According to a study by Amy Edmondson, teams that receive candid feedback, can admit mistakes and encourage collaborative learning were the teams that performed best. This environment of psychological safety increases productivity and engagement among staff, with Harvard Business Review (HBR) finding that employees who feel psychologically safe at work are 50% more productive and 76% more engaged. 

Engagement increased profitability by 21% too – so not only does psychological safety help staff, but it helps a business' bottom line, too.  

Psychological safety in leadership 

The way we tailor our leadership to members of our team can help foster psychological safety also. Consider how we lead those in entry-level roles to those in senior roles – they cannot be led the same way. 

For entry-level staff, direct and mentoring leadership styles will be the most efficient. Spelling out what needs to be done, being a guiding hand and using your own experiences to explain your decision-making, et cetera. Meanwhile, a coaching, delegating leadership style may be preferable for those in senior roles, giving them opportunities to show their potential and coaching them as they develop, and specialise their skill set further.  

What did I learn? 

Creating a sense of belonging is something that should be built into the culture of a business and, on an individual level, we have the power to impact that culture, whether your organisation is big or small. Making people in your organisation feel welcome and using the authority given to you in your role to encourage that is a responsibility.  

Plus, psychologically safe staff yield better results, so it's crucial we do what we can to encourage it.