Our research suggests that the retention of staff is a significant issue in the Health sector and that the effectiveness of a leader’s managerial and leadership behaviours directly impact this. Between 2020 and 2024, 166 leaders across the Western Australian health industry took part in the HILCA tool, including the perspectives of approximately 3000 health care workers.
The HILCA reflects Health LEADS framework and include leadership of the NSQHS Standards. Upon completion, leaders received their results in a confidential debrief session, identifying key opportunities for growth to create a more psychologically safe workplace and ultimately lead to less staff turnover.
Health Leader Results
The top three strengths indicated in the assessments were:
Consistently follows legislation;
Actively cares about the safety and wellbeing of others; and
Follows policies and procedure to achieve organizational goals.
Alternatively, the top three capability gaps were:
Manages team conflict effectively;
Turns creative ideas into reality; and
Effectively dals with unacceptable behaviour.
The largest area of opportunity for growth for health leaders was their ability to Engage Others more effectively. The gaps between desired and actual capability suggest that the sector is weaker in areas that have large impacts on employee engagement and retention.
What Next?
The purpose of the HILCA project was to identify key priority areas for leadership development to inform strategies that consider workload and budget constraints but allow each participant to have a targeted approach to their leadership growth.
Additionally, we recommend that organisations use the results to target areas that matter most, focus on known industry gaps and ensure leadership training is executed with a strategically targeted approach.
Using the HILCA tool, organisations can track this development over time to ensure that the developmental strategies are effective and if employees are less likely to look for alternative employment.
You can learn about our recommendations and the full report at the ACHSM Congress from October 23-25 where our Head of Research, Sasha Burnham will be presenting.
Employee engagement, innovation, peak performance – these are the hallmarks of any successful organisation. The secret ingredient that unlocks them all is psychological safety – the willingness to take interpersonal risks, speak up with ideas and feedback, and admit mistakes – and the good news is it can be measured. This often-overlooked factor empowers teams to thrive. Measuring and understanding where your teams sit in terms of psychological safety can provide invaluable insights into the inner workings of your organisation, and where there is room for improvement.
Measuring Psychological Safety
Quantitative Methods: Organisation-wide surveys, ranging from simple questionnaires to comprehensive diagnostic tools have been the most common quantitative method for measuring culture, engagement and aspects of psychological safety. These however are commonly annual surveys and ‘top down’ meaning results are filtered by management and by the time they reach the team members are often out of date and/or not actioned.
Qualitative Methods: Whilst focus groups and interviews could provide rich insights into employees’ perceptions of psychological safety, team members often feel reluctant to be open and honest as this approach does not allow for confidentiality and anonymity and hence may not get to the ‘route cause’ of low employee well-being and performance.
Real-time Pulse Checks: Regular, brief pulse checks, such as those in the PSI Program, provide real-time data on psychological safety, inclusivity, and psychosocial risk factors, identifying improvement areas and enabling timely interventions which promote an adaptive team culture and performance.
Integrating Psychological Safety into Team Strategies Business plans which include psychological safety measures at team level allow an organisation to ‘keep a finger on the pulse’ of every team ‘real-time’ and address risk areas and concerns before they impact team morale and performance. The PSI tool is a valid and reliable tech-enabled solution that provides anonymous and confidential insights, allowing leaders to benchmark and understand their organisation’s psychological safety and risk profile as well as immediately action any gaps and improvement opportunities with their teams.
Key Benefits of Psychological Safety: Gallop research shows that shifting psychological safety from 3/10 to just 6/10 results in the following benefits: • 27% reduction in turnover • 40% reduction in safety incidents • 12% increase in productivity.
Amy, C. Edmondson. “The Fearless Organisation”. HBS. 2019. Wiley.
Key Features of the PSI Team Performance program: Leadership and Team Commitment Leaders must be empowered to objectively measure psychological safety and psychosocial hazards ‘real time’ and manage these proactively with their teams, as a ‘top down’ and ‘bottom up’ approach.
Identifying Gaps and Opportunities Assessing existing psychological safety levels, finding development opportunities, and incorporating these insights into team BAU ensures team performance is always on the radar.
Skill Development Immediate action and change enabled by micro-learnings in communication, empathy, sharing ideas and concerns, giving feedback, and others empowers and builds employee capability and EQi to take interpersonal risks and nurture psychological safety within and outside of their teams.
Improve Your Teams’ Culture and Performance with DataDrivesInsight.com Psychological safety is a critical foundation of organisational success. By accurately measuring psychological safety and inclusivity, integrating it into team BAU, organisations can enhance employee well-being, improve performance, increase resilience, and retain top talent.
Create an account on the DataDrivesInsight.com member portal to access exclusive educational resources, and learn more about our suite of solutions. To learn more about how to measure and enhance psychological safety, well-being and performance within your teams, contact us.
In 2021, Data Drives Insight (DDI) and Human Services Skills Organisation (HSSO) embarked on a partnership to collect data across the care industry by using DDI’s CILCA360 tool. With investments from both organisation, the shared purpose was to understand current leadership capability across the Care and Disability industries in order to create targeted development strategies and improve future outcomes.
The data collected includes 11 590 surveys from the assessment of 1394 leaders in the care industry. Leaders were represented in all states:
Care Industry Strengths
The surveys measured leadership capability by using the average ‘current performance,’ scores for each survey item for each individual leader. These are measured on a five-point scale. The top five highest performing items across the whole assessment were:
Actively cares about the safety and wellbeing of others
Consistently follows legislation
Is sincere
Treats all others with respect
Follows policies and procedures to achieve organisational goals
The highest performing domain was Leading Business. This domain focuses on legislation, policy and procedures which suggests that leaders on average were compliant to a high degree. Additionally, the data suggests that leaders had a genuine care for the safety and wellbeing of others.
Care Industry Opportunities
Leadership capability surveys measured opportunities by the average gap size between current performance and desired performance. These were both measured on a five point scale. The top five items that had the biggest gap were:
Manages team conflict effectively
Practices self-care
Effectively deals with unacceptable behaviour
Shares responsibility effectively
Addresses challenging situations effectively
The results indicated that the area needing the most development was the Leading Others domain, specifically with managing team conflicts, working through challenging situations and dealing with unacceptable behaviour. These results reflect a need for leaders to improve staff skill development strategies and conduct more effective appraisals.
What Next?
There are many areas of opportunities for development for leaders in the care sector. The CILCA360 tool provides insight into leader-specific opportunities to focus developmental strategies. Our findings suggest that development in the sector needs to move from a compliance focus to a person centred focus to create more psychologically safe teams that deliver quality services for older persons and sustainable businesses.
The full report will provide extensive research into the outcomes of the survey, analysing comparisons by state, gender equity, across sectors, as well as providing insights into recommendations, challenges and the importance of improving psychological safety. This report will be available at the ACCPA conference from October 23rd-26th.
Psychological safety has become a critical focus as businesses adapt in the ever-evolving workplace environment. Understanding how psychologically safe your team truly feels is crucial for fostering a thriving and innovative work environment. Through the prioritisation of psychological safety, organisations can encourage open communication, collaboration, productivity and creativity among team members.
Defining Psychological Safety
Dr. Edmondson, a Harvard Business School professor, defined the term Psychological Safety as “A belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with questions, concerns, or mistakes, and that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.”
In a psychologically safe workplace, employees feel safe to learn, contribute, and challenge the status quo without fear of judgment or consequences.
The Levels of Psychological Safety
On average, organisations are currently ranked at barely 3/10 in psychological safety, preferring ‘artificial’ harmony, highlighting the crucial necessity for growth and the emergence of a more psychologically safe culture.
Low: Organisations with low psychological safety exhibit minimal trust and inclusivity, leading to performance driven by fear rather than intrinsic motivation. It stifles innovation, discourages open communication, and increases the risk of burnout and turnover.
Average: Trust and inclusivity exist, but employees feel comfortable expressing thoughts only occasionally and with certain colleagues. Mixed responses to mistakes can adversely affect collaboration and personal growth.
High: A culture of openness and inclusivity fosters continuous learning, innovation, and personal growth, enhancing commitment, idea generation, and problem-solving, leading to improved attraction and retention rates.
Gallop research shows that shifting psychological safety from 3/10 to just 6/10 results in:
27% reduction in turnover
40% reduction in safety incidents
12% increase in productivity.
Amy, C. Edmondson. “The Fearless Organisation”. HBS. 2019. Wiley.
Psychological safety is also associated with improved problem-solving, decision-making, and knowledge-sharing, enhancing employees’ ability to adapt and contribute effectively, all of which are crucial as we transition to a modern workplace.
Building Psychological Safety in Evolving Work Environments
Prioritising psychological safety and inclusivity is vital in the new workplace, where remote work, flexible schedules, and a diverse workforce are becoming the norm. By fostering an inclusive workplace culture where employees feel safe to share ideas and take initiative, organisations can drive engagement, innovation, and overall improved performance.
For a more in-depth understanding of psychological safety, watch this short video presentation by Abby Hunt and Sasha Burnham at The Future of Coaching Conference 2024, hosted by FireUp Coaching.
DataDrivesInsight.com is committed to helping leaders and teams create psychologically safe workplaces through our comprehensive tech-enabled diagnostic and change solutions. Create an account on the DataDrivesInsight.com member portal to access exclusive educational resources, and learn more about our suite of solutions. Stay informed about the latest insights and strategies designed to empower your leaders and teams drive sustainable change. To learn more about how you can incorporate Data Drives Insight’s solutions into your organisation, contact us here.
In recent years, there has been a significant shift in the legislative landscape concerning psychosocial risk and psychological safety across Australia. These changes are part of a broader effort to improve workplace safety and ensure that mental health is given the same priority as physical health in the workplace.
The Evolution of Legislation
The introduction of ISO 45003, the first international standard to provide guidance on managing psychosocial risks, has been a major milestone. This standard highlights the importance of psychological health and safety, encouraging organisations to adopt a more proactive approach to identifying and mitigating psychosocial hazards. It is designed to be used in conjunction with ISO 45001, which focuses on occupational health and safety management systems.
Implications for Leaders in Government
Psychological safety is critical in local government workplaces to ensure effective governance and high-quality public service. At Data Drives Insight, we offer a range of tools and programs tailored to meet these regulatory requirements and enhance workplace psychological safety. Here are five key reasons why:
Improved Employee Engagement and Retention: Creating a psychologically safe environment ensures employees feel valued and respected, leading to higher job satisfaction and lower turnover rates.
Enhanced Decision-Making and Innovation: When employees can voice their ideas and concerns without fear of retribution, it fosters a culture of innovation and better decision-making.
Increased Productivity and Performance: Teams that operate in a psychologically safe environment collaborate more effectively and are more productive, enhancing overall performance.
Compliance with Legal and Ethical Standards: Adhering to guidelines like ISO 45003 ensures that local governments meet legal requirements and uphold ethical standards, reducing the risk of legal issues.
Better Community Relations and Trust: Employees who feel psychologically safe are more likely to engage positively with the community, building trust and improving relations between the government and its constituents.
Commitment to Psychological Safety
The development of tools and programs at Data Drives Insight underscores our commitment to supporting organisations in creating psychologically safe workplaces. By leveraging our expertise and innovative solutions, organisations can not only comply with legislative requirements but also enhance employee engagement, productivity, and overall organisational performance.
PSI (Psychological Safety Indicator): The PSI measures team members’ sense of psychological safety and inclusivity within their team in a confidential and anonymous manner. This data is presented in an interactive dashboard, allowing leaders to track progress and foster a more inclusive workforce. Organisations that use PSI can identify and respond to psychosocial risk factors, supporting staff mental health and gaining a competitive advantage.
PSI360: The PSI360 provides a 360-degree feedback mechanism for leaders, highlighting how their leadership impacts team psychological safety and inclusivity. This comprehensive feedback is used to develop targeted improvement plans, enhancing leaders’ capacity to create safe and inclusive environments, which in turn improves team performance and employee retention.
Leading the Way to a Safer Future
As Australian legislation continues to evolve, it is imperative for leaders, especially those in government, to stay ahead of these changes by fostering a culture of psychological safety. By doing so, they not only comply with legal requirements but also enhance the well-being and performance of their teams. Data Drives Insight remains dedicated to providing the most effective tools and insights to help organisations manage psychosocial risks and promote a culture of safety and inclusivity. Together, we can create thriving workplaces where every individual feels valued and respected.
Supporting Organisations
For those looking to further understand and implement these changes, organisations such as LGPro provide invaluable resources and support. LGPro specialises in professional development and advocacy for local government professionals, ensuring they are equipped to meet the challenges of today’s workplace.
By prioritising psychological safety, leaders can create a more engaged, innovative, and productive workforce, ultimately leading to better public service and governance.
To learn more about how you can incorporate Data Drives Insight’s solutions into your organisation, contact us here.
