- Episode 42: Alla Weinberg & A Culture of Safety: Building A Work Environment Where People Can Think, Collaborate And Innovate John M Jaramillo 47:48
COVID-19 has shown us what kind of gap exists between what people want and need in the workplace and what the reality is they actually get. Compounding the workplace impact of the pandemic is the growing fear of a impending recession which is leading to preemptive steps by companies to streamline their operations by making cuts – tens of thousands of layoffs across major companies and throughout the country.
What lessons have companies learned from previous recessions, if any, in how quickly they make those on their rosters expendable? The same can be asked from the shock to the economy caused by the pandemic.
Disrespect, neglect, and toxicity on the part of and allowed in many companies is leading to a ripple effect of mental health issues, fear, and uncertainty through their ranks, from the top to the bottom.
In this episode, Alla shares with me what it means to care for others in the work environment. Common courtesy, respect, and compassion – basic humanity – is free and effective. And aside from it being the right thing to do, an argument can be made that creating such an environment of safety, which Alla covers in her book, leads to innovative work and lasting results. Everyone wins. Everyone benefits.
Some highlights from this episode:
- What if all the boxes society lays out for you are checked but you’re not fulfilled?
- As humans, fear is what we’re feeling most of the time. That’s just how we’re wired.
- A major problem: Although so much has shifted and evolved around us, our human body and nervous system have not changed or evolved in 10,000 years.
- The meaning of Post-Traumatic Growth.
Mentioned or Applicable Books:
- The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth by Amy C. Edmondson
- The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek
- Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say – and What You Don’t by L. David Marquet
The MAIN QUESTION for you, which underlies my conversation with Alla is, to both receive the humanity you deserve and achieve the best work, how are you ensuring a culture of safety – of physical, emotional, and psychologically safety – for both yourself and those around you?
Bio: Alla is the CEO of SPOKE & WHEEL, a culture design company that helps organizations build cultures of safety. She is a culture designer & author who has incorporated her design background with the principles of neuroscience, positive psychology, and relationship research to offer the most customized and compassionate cultural solutions available. In her book, A Culture of Safety: Building an Environment for People to Think, Collaborate, and Innovate, Alla delves into the tools, practices, and rituals that help leaders create physical, emotional, & psychological safety.
Learn more about Alla and her work:
· Website: spokeandwheel.co
Watch the episode on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/ey_KTZe
Learn more about The Book Leads: https://lnkd.in/eFb76ck
