Slow Down to Speed Up - The Power of Psychological Safety in a Chaotic World
A summary of key insights from October’s KeepWell Forum session.
In today’s world, "chaos" feels less like an event and more like our permanent state. As Vicky O'Neill, HR Strategy Specialist at Ibec, highlighted in our most recent KeepWell Forum session, we are navigating a "Polycrisis World". From the 2008 financial crash to the pandemic and ongoing geopolitical conflicts, our foundations feel like they're in constant motion.
This disruption has had a fascinating effect on trust. While trust in governments and media declines, the Edelman Trust Index shows trust in "my employer" has become a critical anchor. After the 2020 pandemic, business even became the most trusted institution. But as Vicky pointed out, that trust is fragile, seeing a recent dip. This places a profound responsibility on leaders. The workplace is now a primary source of stability. So, how do we protect that trust?
The answer, Vicky argues, lies in psychological safety.
Curing "Hurry Sickness"
One of the first hurdles to overcome is our modern affliction: "Hurry Sickness". We’re all familiar with the feeling - that compulsive need to check emails, the impatience of waiting for an elevator, the sense that we are perpetually behind. This constant, low-grade anxiety is toxic to high-quality thinking.
This internal pressure is compounded by an external one: the "Human-machine frontier". The World Economic Forum data Vicky shared is stark:
Now: 47% of tasks are done by people. By 2030: This will drop to just 33%.
As technology, AI, and algorithms take over routine tasks, what’s left for us humans? The complex, creative, collaborative and deeply human work. And to do that work well, we simply cannot be in a state of "hurry sickness." We need a different internal environment.
Activating the "Seeking System"
So, what’s a leader to do? Vicky introduced a powerful concept from neuroscience: activating our "Seeking System". Attributed to neuroscientist Jaak Panksepp, this is our brain’s innate engine for curiosity. It’s the part of us that has an "innate desire to experiment, learn from our environments and seek cause-effect/meaning”.
When the ‘Seeking System’ is dormant, we feel apathy and burnout. When it's active, we feel engaged, motivated, and purposeful. Vicky outlined three key ways leaders can switch this system on:
- Emphasise unique strengths and perspectives
- Personalise purpose beyond money
- Prompt curiosity through experimentation
This system is the neurological bedrock of a learning culture. But it can only be activated when one condition is met: psychological safety.
From the Anxiety Zone to the Learning Zone
Psychological safety is more than just a buzzword. Vicky provided a clear definition: it is a "shared belief held by members of a team that it’s OK to take risks, to express their ideas and concerns, to speak up with questions and to admit mistakes; all without fear of negative consequences”.
It is, quite simply, making it "Safe to Speak Up".
However, a common mistake is to confuse psychological safety with a "comfort zone." Using a matrix from Amy Edmondson, Vicky showed that high safety with low performance standards just leads to comfort. That’s not the goal.
Low Safety + High Standards = The Anxiety Zone
High Safety + High Standards = The Learning Zone
The Learning Zone is where high-performance teams live. It’s an environment where people can be ambitious and vulnerable, where they can challenge the status quo and admit they don't have the answer.
‘Calling In’ vs. ‘Calling Out’
This is where psychological safety becomes the engine for true inclusion. A safe environment isn't one that avoids conflict. It's one that handles it productively.
Vicky introduced the powerful concept of ‘Calling In vs. Calling Out’. While ‘calling out’ is a public shaming, ‘calling in’ is a practice of holding someone accountable with compassion. As activist Loretta J. Ross says, “Calling people in is not about excusing bad behaviour - it’s about accountability with love”.
This approach is vital for inclusion. It creates a space where team members can make mistakes, learn from them and correct their course without being exiled.
To build this, Vicky shared a three-step leadership framework for nurturing inclusion:
- Set the Stage: Be explicit about work's complexity and the reality of uncertainty and failure.
- Invite Engagement: Actively ask good questions and acknowledge your own limits.
- Respond Productively: How you react is everything. Embrace messengers and foster learning from every outcome.
Slow Down to Speed Up
This journey isn't easy, but it is essential for sustainable success. Vicky left the KeepWell community with five key takeaways that tie all these themes together:
- Slow Down to Speed Up
- Champion Agility and Learning
- Use Technology Thoughtfully
- Drive Inclusive Leadership Development
- Embed Psychological Safety
In a ‘polycrisis world, the leader's most important job is to create a pocket of stability and trust.
By embedding psychological safety, you can unlock the ‘seeking system’ in your people, unleashing the curiosity, creativity and resilience needed to face whatever comes next.
Slowing down to speed up is a vital organisational strategy for navigating our 'polycrisis world.' But building this culture of psychological safety, fostering inclusive leadership, and creating the stability to activate your team's 'Seeking System' doesn't happen by accident. It requires a deliberate, structured approach. This is precisely where the KeepWell Mark provides its greatest value. It offers the comprehensive framework and evidence-based roadmap to move these powerful concepts from theory to reality, helping you systematically embed a sustainable wellbeing strategy that builds the trust and resilience needed to thrive.
Find out more: www.thekeepwellmark.ie
