Psychological Safety: Social Connections

What is Social Connections?

Welcome to the November team challenge, where our focus centres on the critical topic of psychological safety within the workplace. To explore this concept, we will engage in a thoughtful analysis of selected video clips, drawn from our favourite TV shows and movies, showcasing instances of both effective and not so effective of psychological safety under the topics in chnnls' Level Up Framework*. These are Work Design, Culture & Leadership, Personal Factors, Social Connections, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Mana Whenua. 

In Day Five, our attention was directed toward the realm of Social Connections, prompting us to consider its profound implications on employee well-being. As we embark on this exploration, we invite you to observe the featured video clip, paying particular attention to potential risks associated with low psychological safety.

We encourage you to reflect on elements such as job clarity, communication of roles and expectations, and the impact of work-related pressures and overtime on mental health and team culture. Our goal is to identify and discuss psychosocial risks inherent in work design, fostering a comprehensive understanding of factors that may influence mental health and overall well-being in the workplace. 

Level Up Framework* 

 

Social Connection Hazards Included:

 

1.2.1 Unsupportive leaders or colleagues
1.2.2 Lack of appreciation or recognition
1.2.3 Inadequate or ambiguous communication
1.2.4 Interpersonal Relationships
1.2.5 Threatening, harassing, voilence or bullying work relations

 

Business Outcomes Included:

 

1.1.7 Burnout

1.1.8 Psychosocial Risk Score

1.1.9 Wellbeing Score

1.2.0 Turnover Intention

1.2.1 Job Satisfaction

1.2.2 Psychological Safety

The Risks

What WE IDENTIFIED

The Devil Wears Prada is a 2006 American comedy-drama film directed by David Frankel. The film adaptation stars Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly, a powerful fashion magazine editor, and Anne Hathaway as Andrea "Andy" Sachs, a college graduate who goes to New York City and lands a job as Priestly's co-assistant. Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci co-star as co-assistant Emily Charlton and art director Nigel Kipling, respectively.

Andrea "Andy" Sachs is an aspiring journalist newly graduated from Northwestern University. Despite her ridicule of the fashion industry, she lands a job as junior personal assistant to Miranda Priestly, the editor-in-chief of Runway magazine, a job that "millions of girls would kill for." Andy plans to put up with Miranda's excessive demands and humiliating treatment for one year in the hopes of getting a job as a reporter or writer somewhere else.

Andy initially fumbles with her job and fits in poorly with her gossipy, fashion-forward co-workers, especially Miranda's senior assistant, Emily Charlton. After a dress trial meeting in which Miranda berates her in front of the entire team, Andy approaches art director Nigel to help her learn the ropes in the world of fashion.

How does chnnl help you measure and identify work-design hazards:

Weekly Pulse Screening and Assessment Survey: 

1. chnnl-50 questions

Through chnnls' academically validated check-in questions, work-design hazards are measured and monitored. This provides regular insight and indication towards the impact of work-design in an organisation and how this effects psychological safety, alongside wellbeing.

Example screening questions in chnnl app, these questions are prompted from any early warning signs or quarterly on rotation: 

 

"At work, I’ve experienced bullying, harassment, or unfair treatment in the past month"

 

• If yes
  Sub 1:
  Can you rate how severe it is?

  • 1-3 Mild

  • 4-9 Moderate

  • 10 Extreme

  Sub 2:
  Is this repeated behaviour?

  • Yes

  • No

  Sub 3:
  What is your ideal outcome?

  • Mediation

  • Formal complaint

Other (write in journal)

"I often witness others being bullied, harassed, or treated unfairly"

 

If yes
Sub 1: 
I feel that this organisation takes mistreatment seriously and will take action 

Yes 

No

Sub 2: 
I have the skills to intervene on behalf of a colleague or other who is being mistreated

Yes 

No

Sub 3: 
I know where and how to report situations on behalf of someone else

Yes 

No

learn more about chnnl-50 here

2. Journals 

Free text anonymous journaling for anyone in the organisation to reflect on the workplace environment, climate and culture. The chnnl AI then codes the free text into key themes and sentiments and matches them to psychosocial risk tags. These are then reviewed by a clinical team before being finalised for organisation reporting and recommended actions. Having a free text reflection tool enables deep and rich insights into the employees experiences and celebrates the protective factors in the workplace as well as the potential risks. 

3. Risk identification and mitigation

At chnnl, we use a bowtie risk matrix to identify risks and what to do before an injury has occurred, and then also to facilitate mitigating interventions in the event of a psychological injury, to ensure psychologically safe workplaces. 

See this page for expansion on chnnls' psychosocial Risk Matrix

What the Experts Say:

Bennjamin Mathews

National Health & Safety Governance Manager - Kmart & Target

In Week 2 of the Safety Challenge, we had Bennjamin Mathews join us for a live webinar and recording. With an impressive Health and Safety background and wealth of international experience, working in the UK with Bunnings Warehouse and the Kmart, Target brands in Wesfarmers. 

See below for the recording of the full Live webinar from the 16 of November with Bennjamin Mathews.

 

 

Taking Action . . .

 

 

- Team members are a part of our systems that assist with the business running efficiently, taking care of our staffs psychological safety is paramount to the effective running of the business which in turns helps productivity

- People will listen to people they like! Building the relationships with your team is important.

- Find a way to keep your teams connected, via a social team platform etc when you have some of your teams working remotely and some within the office. 

- Scheduling time with your teams for connection!

 

Resources

 

https://www.forum.org.nz/resources/

 

https://www.worksafe.govt.nz/topic-and-industry/work-related-health/mental-health/mentally-healthy-work-in-retail-case-studies/

 

 

 

Mental Wellbeing by Design Workbook - Dr Hillary Bennett 

References:

https://www.worksafe.govt.nz/research/psychosocial-hazards-in-work-environments-and-effective-approaches-for-managing-them/

https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/safety-topic/managing-health-and-safety/mental-health/psychosocial-hazards

https://burnoutassessmenttool.be/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/User-Manual-BAT-version-2.0.pdf

https://health.nzdf.mil.nz/assets/Documents/Burnout-Assessment-Tool.pdf