(Psychological Safety cont. 2)

Vulnerability

Introduction

Psychological safety allows vulnerability to be acceptable in every social setting.

Vulnerability is
"...shaped by past experiences, beliefs, perceptions, fears, and even our goals..."
LeadFactor, 2022a

Vulnerability happens
"...every time you do something that exposes your insecurity, makes you feel uncertain, or otherwise pushes you out of your comfort zone..."
LeadFactor, 2022a

It tolerates failure without feeling guilty, experiencing retaliation, renunciation, being mocked, being shamed, being threatened or being penalised.

Need to understand your own and others' vulnerabilities, ie never too late to learn.

To start the journey of understanding vulnerabilities, there is a need for a deep introspection and careful human interaction; this will include self-reflection, open dialogues about vulnerabilities and how they are handled; modelling and actively rewarding acts of vulnerability.

Some examples of open vulnerability include
"... - verbally acknowledging and actively respecting boundaries
     - expressing gratitude for candid emotions
     - giving people the space to process
     - making yourself available and interruptible
     - allowing honesty over correct answers
     - clarifying outcomes and expectations
     - offering a way forward after a mistake..."
LeadFactor, 2022a

Yet most workplaces, etc do not accept vulnerability and this brings out a natural fear response, ie
"...where we think we could get hurt, we hide and fly under the radar. Essentially, we are in survival mode. We remember past experiences with people had punished us for being vulnerable and make a mental note to avoid those people, or situations, in the future......we even edit and modify our authentic selves to become someone that can't be punished for who we are..."
LeadFactor, 2022a

This has been called punished vulnerability and can occur at the macro and micro levels; some examples include:
"...- dismissing requests for help
     - reacting poorly to mistakes and failures
     - not taking 'no' for an answer
     - asking someone to try something new without clear expectations
     - ignoring effort and expecting perfection
     - refusing to provide more resources for larger/new tasks
     - taking feedback poorly
     - shutting down candour/challenges to status quo..."
LeadFactor, 2022a

An environment where vulnerability is punished has negative consequences:
"...- 48% intentionally decreased their work effort
     - 47% intentionally decreased time spent at work
     - 38% intentionally decreased their quality of work
     - 80% lost work time worrying about incidents
     - 53% lost work time avoiding the offender
     - 66% said their performance declined
     - 78% said their commitment to the organisation declined
     - 12% said they left their job because of the uncivil treatment
     - 25% admitted to take their frustration out on co-workers..."
Christine Porath as quoted by Jillian Petersen, 2023c

The above statistics demonstrate the negatives of punishing vulnerability!!!

Between punished and open vulnerability, there is neutral vulnerability, ie in this environment there is much doubt as sometimes the same vulnerability is rewarded and at other times punished. There is an inconsistency and this creates an environment of doubt, ie you are
"...unsure what the next reaction will be, and probably don't want to find out..."
LeadFactor, 2022a

However,
"...psychological safety creates sanctuaries for inclusion and incubators of innovation where people feel safe to be their authentic self and create value exponentially..."
LeadFactor, 2022a

Vulnerability can vary from individual to individual, ie what impacts one individual will not necessarily affect someone else the same way.

Some common acts of vulnerability include:
"...- being your authentic self
     - interacting with other people
     - expressing your emotions
     - sharing something personal
     - connecting with your team
     - asking for help
     - admitting you don't know
     - trying something new
     - making a mistake
     - giving an incorrect answer
     - receiving feedback
     - contributing to a discussion
     - clarifying expectations
     - asking for more resources
     - raising a concern
     - expressing disagreement
     - challenging the way things are done
     - pointing out a mistake
     - offering a different point of view..."
LeadFactor, 2022a

NB Psychological safety is a shared experience, ie interacting with other people.