If you’re a training facilitator, you know that some participants may not necessarily feel comfortable in a collaborative workshop environment. This may stem from social anxiety or from a fear of being judged for what they might share during the experience.
The good news is that this discomfort can be mitigated by training facilitators who are willing to implement elements of psychological safety into their programs.
When psychological safety is present, learners feel comfortable to ask questions, contribute their ideas, voice opinions, challenge the material being offered, and show up as their true selves (what powerful learning opportunities for the whole group to benefit from!) without fear of being judged, shamed or criticized by facilitators or their fellow participants.
As a facilitator, it’s imperative that you exercise your own personal leadership and take responsibility for the environment you cultivate within the training spaces you oversee.
Some of the leadership characteristics that promote psychological safety seem obvious, but there are always deeper layers to explore.
3 Tips for Creating Psychological Safety in Training Programs
If you want to cultivate high engagement, encourage knowledge retention of material and create a positive experience for learners, here are three tips for creating psychological safety in your programs.
1. Be vigilant at addressing natural fears of embarrassment or marginalization.
It’s the facilitator’s job to remain vigilant in addressing these fears to develop deeper layers of inclusivity and encourage learners to authentically share layers of their truth.
One way to do that is to encourage the quieter voices to come forward without singling anyone out. Be sure to always “call people in” versus “calling people out”. Small group work and virtual breakout rooms also offer safer opportunities for the more reflective voices to have the space to share — and this can increase inclusivity and engagement.
2. Be mindful of your own reactions.
Nothing kills psychological safety quicker than a negative reaction to what a learner shared or asked. Facilitators must be willing to do some self-reflection and temporarily suspend potential criticisms so they can better be of service to their learners.
Facilitators can constantly be tested by what’s brought forward by participants. After all, even facilitators, of course, have their own biases and experiences. But they must remain mindful of what they’re projecting outwardly within their training spaces. Side note: Having a negative reaction to a comment or question could also appear as favoritism for the dominant voices in the room, which is the opposite of creating an inclusive learning environment.
3. Safely address participants or situations that are creating a negative or unsafe space.
The key is to make every experience a learning opportunity, even if it means slowing down to offer additional training concepts, share a personal relatable experience, or offer real-time group coaching to navigate challenges brought up during a particular lesson.
When handling adverse situations in real time, the goal is to meet learners where they are, protect them from being wronged, and invite them to have new considerations and perspectives.
Essentially, creating a psychologically safe learning environment is key to successful learning.
Final Words
In a nutshell, when people feel safe, they learn better — and they learn more. When people feel heard and are supported to contribute, they retain better. When questions, concerns and challenges are encouraged and addressed compassionately, active engagement rises. When people feel seen and accepted for who they are, they are able to leave training programs feeling empowered.
Taking the time and effort to ensure psychological safety can make all the difference in obtaining our objectives as trainers and supporting learners along the way.
