Favourite Book for 2020

The 4 Stages of PSYCOLOGICAL SAFETY by Timothy R Clark

Leaders and Managers, I have been reading ‘The 4 Stages of Psychological SAFETY’ (2020) by Timothy R Clark.
 
Care about your staff teams? Feel you want to achieve a competitive edge in a changing environment? Then this is a great read.
 
Be ready though, if you engage with reading it, it requires you, as leader and manager, to ask yourself some soul-searching questions.
 
The Key Questions spread throughout the text also offer great ideas to share with co-managers and teams.
 
Clark defines the key principle of ‘Psychological Safety’ as a condition in which one feels:
 

1. Included
2. Safe to Learn
3. Safe to Contribute
4. Safe to Challenge the Status Quo

 
All without fear of being embarrassed, marginalised, or punished in some way. A simple and powerful concept in fuelling innovation and different ways of working. Great examples in the book.
 
The Key Principles and Key Concepts throughout the text offer simple salient points to shape effective leadership behaviours in: Inclusion Safety, Learner Safety, Contributor Safety & Challenger Safety.
 
I have too many ‘take home’ points from this book to share here, so I decided to share some ‘food for thought’ from the ‘key concepts’ bits:
 
“if you deprive your team of challenger safety, you unknowingly dedicate the team to the status quo” (p111) – I think at a time when we need everyone to be innovative and find new ways of working our ability as leaders and managers to openly expect and willingly receive challenge is so important to sustaining a competitive edge
 
“At an individual level, we need personal fulfilment and happiness. At an organisational level, we need innovation and sustained competitive advantage” (p140) – I have found that it’s often our teams who have the best solutions.
 
“the true definition of devastation is no one caring when you fall” (p62) – if we all make sure we care for one person who in turn cares for one person, then that’s the basis of a caring and open culture. It costs nothing to care.
 
If you are ready to challenge yourself – take a look at the book. If you have read it already keen to hear your thoughts.

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