And by this, we don’t mean we train business owners how to build a business podcast (but never say never, with over eighty episodes under our belts, we may in the future).
Rather, we know when you want to build your business the pressure is on. With so much to take in and an overwhelming amount of information out there, it can be difficult to know where to tune in.
That’s why we love producing the Sparks by Ignium podcast. It’s an easy way to take on board the ideas, inspirational stories and strategic tips of some of our favourite thinkers and entrepreneurs.
Podcast highlight: the compelling case for psychological safety
When our host Phil Rose spoke to author, speaker and organisational psychologist Laura Gallaher, we were given an insight into the vital role psychological safety plays in survival – literal and organisation-wide.
In 2002 NASA was ranked the no 1 place to work in government and yet a few months later, disaster famously struck.
Laura was brought in to work with the organisation and she discusses what she learned. Surprisingly it wasn’t an engineering or a technical decision that had caused the tragedy – it was down to culture and human psychology.
When we dissolve fear
Below the surface, she discovered that NASA wasn’t designed to allow enough effective decision-making and information flow. Engineers were using informal channels of communication and friendship links to gather and pass on critical information, feeling unable to speak up in formal circles.
Intrapersonal fear can stop a lower-level employee from pushing against a decision already made higher up, especially when time or technical constraints are bearing down as well. This can lead to catastrophe.
Laura states that things should be ‘Designed to drive behaviour towards what we want rather than away from it.’. In other words, we proactively create the kind of psychological safety that will help our organisation to thrive.
How do we do this?
Be specific about behaviours
It’s easier to articulate what we don’t want rather than what we do or knock around ideas like ‘trust’ without really pinpointing what they mean. This kind of specificity takes time and energy and it can’t be a one-off thing, it’s ongoing. Laura recommends a behavioural checklist backed up by a personal strong connection to culture and intention to give it meaning and the human touch.
Bring culture to life through storytelling
When ‘the way we’ve always done things around here’ doesn’t make sense anymore, it’s a sign we’ve lost touch with our why. The emotional connection and sense of drive that comes along with purpose start to wane.
Nurture the four emerging traits of effective culture
Culture is the DNA of an organisation, it’s what makes it unique. Laura divides this into four elements:
- Maturity
- Diversity
- Communication
- Unity
Why it matters when you’re building a business
Robust culture, demonstrated in behaviours is given life and meaning by human story – these are key elements if you want to grow sustainably. The facts and figures are undeniably vital but to prevent disaster, you need an open flow of information and efficient decision-making, even when you’re under pressure.
Hop on over to the podcast now
Find out more about the elements of Laura’s DNA model along with how when we don’t feel safe to speak up, we talk ourselves out of our fears. What does maturity mean and why do we need to give the process of cascading information the time and energy it deserves?
To listen in, click the link here or search ‘Sparks by Ignium’ on your favourite platform and browse the other titles in our how-to-build-a-business podcast.
Laura’s Book The Missing Links: Launching a High Performing Company Culture is available now.