Every year on March 8th we celebrate the International Women’s Day. But rather than a one-day act of celebration, it is much more important that women do feel comfortable and secure at work every day.
Google’s Project Aristotle a decade ago and Boston Consulting Group’s (BCG) recent survey of 28,000 employees across 16 countries also underscore the importance of psychological safety in the workplace. Women who feel secure in expressing themselves at the workplace – voicing their opinion without the fear of receiving blame or criticism in return, are nearly twice as (1.9 times) motivated as those who do not work in such an environment. Those who feel secure are of the opinion that they are 3.4 times more valued and respected, feel 3.2 times more empowered to reach their full potential at work, and are 2.7 times happier at work, the survey showed.
When leaders prioritize and successfully establish psychological safety, their organizations will be in a significantly better position to maintain talented, committed female workforce – and this will improve the company’s results, said BCG Managing Director and Partner Melanie Seier Larsen. “The key to psychological safety is empathic leadership. In such jobs, women are 97% less likely to change jobs within a year than elsewhere. This is especially true for minority workers and people with disabilities,” said Seier Larsen.
The empathetic leadership style doesn’t discourage conflict, but encourages constructive dissent, constructive debate, debunking myths about performance and responsibility. Empathetic leaders are open and credible, Seier Larsen added. Research shows a direct and close link between empathic leadership and the feeling of psychological safety in the workforce. This in turn delivers key workplace benefits to both the organization and its employees.
Through employing empathetic leadership to establish psychological safety, organizations forge resilient teams capable of tapping into the creativity and insights derived from diverse voices and perspectives. This not only enhances innovation, but also improves financial performance, fulfilling the commitment to constructing fair, equitable, and inclusive workplaces not just on International Women’s Day, but beyond
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