Despite the fact that the world has probably never been more mindful than it is now of the issue of human rights, there is no doubt that the human race is a far cry from being able to honour the universal human rights of the United Nations established on the basis of humanity, freedom, justice and peace.
In organisations, the modern-day realities of the pace of change and the demands of being switched on all the time adds significant complexity, pressure and uncertainty to work life.
Agile principles for organisational sustainability also advocate for greater interdependence and team coherence to enable the realisation of organisational goals.
The Bill of Rights preserved in our Constitution determines that everyone has a right to life, equality and human dignity. This points to more than just the basic requirements to survive.
Employees and teams need more than decent working hours and fair pay to flourish.
As Peter Drucker put it:
Culture eats strategy for breakfast.
Therefore, organisations who are looking to succeed need to create a culture that will facilitate innovation, collaboration and extraordinary performance.
This is where an environment of psychological safety can play a vital role in creating a safe space for team members to take risks and be vulnerable in front of each other.
One may want to argue the relevance of vulnerability and risk-taking in the work environment. But these characteristics also go hand-in-hand with factors such as diversity, trust and respect, which all lay the foundation for sustainable performance.
Since leaders have a significant impact on crafting work culture, they need to be mindful of, and model/implement, the following:
What you sow, is what you reap
Just as the infringement of human rights have dire consequences for those impacted, having to work in a psychologically dangerous environment only leads to negative outcomes for the individual, the team and, ultimately, the organisation.
If the already challenging demands of the world of work are not mitigated with a psychologically safe environment where employees are valued and supported, their physical and mental health is at stake.
The leader needs to be tuned in to the dynamics of the team interactions and proactively deal with it. This will create the climate and conditions that are necessary for sustainable and exceptional performance.