The Authentic Organization

"The Authentic Organization is an empowering guide, offering an approachable framework for organizations to go beyond diversity and inclusion. It is an invaluable resource for any leader hoping to gain and maintain a competitive edge in today's talent market!"

- Sergio Rodriguez, Senior Manager, Global Workforce DEI Solutions

"The Authentic Organization deals with a hugely important topic – how to create Psychological Safety in the workplace. This book is insightful, practical, fun and easy to read!"

-Andreas Richter, Professor of Organisational Behaviour, University of Cambridge

“This is a timely book, written with heart. There is an increasing focus on Psychological Safety and Gina brings the concept to life, explaining how to make it a reality for everyone in our organisations.”

-Simon Blake, Chief Executive Officer, Mental Health First Aid England

Mastering Psychological Safety: Your definitive guide to cultivating a psychologically safe workplace

In The Authentic Organization: How to Create a Psychologically Safe Workplace, CEO of the Psychological Safety Institute Gina Battye, delivers a hands-on manual to create work environments where people thrive. You’ll discover actionable strategies to establish a psychologically safe workplace; challenging and transforming workplace attitudes and outdated workplace cultures. Expect to experience a paradigm shift where psychological safety is at the core, enabling an inclusive culture and catalyzing organizational success. This book goes beyond the mechanics of creating a safe workplace, it also empowers individuals to unleash their authentic selves, not just surviving, but truly thriving, both professionally and personally. You’ll gain valuable insights and practical guidance to bring your authentic self to work, effectively navigate workplace interactions and create a highly conducive environment for teamwork and collaboration. Ultimately, you will have everything you need to drive cultural change and take an active role in creating a psychologically safe environment that empowers your team and transforms your entire organization.

Gina masterfully navigates you through her distinctive approach, the world-renowned 5 Pillars of Psychological Safety framework, meticulously designed to cultivate an environment where your organization and people thrive. Within these pages you will encounter:

• A transformative process that empowers individuals to bring their Authentic Self to work, tapping into hidden capabilities to excel in their professional lives.
• A comprehensive communication framework that equips individuals to effortlessly master effective workplace interactions.
• A ground-breaking methodology that cultivates an environment where teams thrive and collaborate effectively in a calm and focused workplace setting.

A must-read blueprint for anyone aiming to create psychologically safe work environments, The Authentic Organization is your comprehensive guide to cultivating a workplace where individuals and teams thrive. This book is the ultimate manual that leaders, managers, human resources professionals, Employee Resource Group leads, and business innovators have been waiting years for.

Preface: Psychological Safety in Action xiii

Part I Background 1

1 Setting the Scene 3

What Is Psychological Safety? 5

What Affects Your Sense of Safety? 6

Ineffective and Effective Implementation 22

Psychological Safety versus Inclusive Culture 24

Misconceptions 27

Navigating Roles and Responsibilities 30

2 The Authentic Self 35

Your Identity: How People Perceive You at Work 41

Your Authentic Self: The Real You 44

Bringing Your Authentic Self to Work 45

The Power of Embracing Your Authentic Self 52

A Personal Decision 55

3 The Extent of the Issue 57

Absence of Statistics 59

Do You Have an Issue? 62

Introducing Lux: Measuring Psychological Safety 63

Active Industries and Countries 69

Success Factors 72

Key Challenges 74

Part II the Teachings 83

4 Pillar 1: Self 87

Pillar 1 Framework 91

Pillar 1 Methodology: The Authentic Self Process 93

Pillar 1 Dimensions: Deep Dive 97

Pillar 1 Highlights 102

Pillar 1 Pledges and Self- Reflection Questions 153

Summary 155

5 Pillar 2: Social 157

Pillar 2 Framework 159

Pillar 2 Methodology: The Communication Cycle 161

Pillar 2 Dimensions: Deep Dive 162

Pillar 2 Highlights 166

Pillar 2 Pledges and Self- Reflection Questions 205

Summary 206

6 Pillar 3: Collaboration 209

Pillar 3 Framework 211

Pillar 3 Methodology: The CollabZen Methodology 213

Pillar 3 Dimensions: Deep Dive 216

Pillar 3 Highlights 223

Pillar 3 Pledges and Self- Reflection Questions 254

Summary 256

7 Pillar 4: Curiosity 259

Pillar 4 Framework 261

Pillar 4 Methodology: Curiosity Sessions 262

Pillar 4 Dimensions: Deep Dive 263

Pillar 4 Highlights 265

Pillar 4 Pledges and Self- Reflection Questions 271

Summary 273

8 Pillar 5: Creativity 275

Pillar 5 Framework 278

Pillar 5 Methodology: Creativity Workshops 279

Pillar 5 Dimensions: Deep Dive 280

Pillar 5 Highlights 282

Pillar 5 Pledges and Self- Reflection Questions 288

Summary 289

9 Summary 291

Acknowledgments 299

About the Author 301

Index 303

GINA BATTYE is the CEO and founder of the Psychological Safety Institute. Renowned worldwide as an award-winning consultant, trainer and speaker, Gina’s groundbreaking work has firmly established her as a global leader in workplace Psychological Safety. Leveraging her extensive experience, she has transformed outdated workplace cultures within multinational corporations into environments where people thrive.

People leave organizations when they don’t feel safe. The Psychological Safety Institute’s research shows that this extends beyond employees; it’s equally relevant to leaders and managers, HR and EDI professionals, encompassing the entire organization.

Across all levels, individuals report not feeling safe to bring their Authentic Self to work and lacking the necessary intrapersonal awareness and interpersonal skills to thrive. This negatively impacts well-being, relationships and performance, ultimately contributing to a toxic workplace culture.

So how can you cultivate an environment where individuals and teams thrive, break down silos, create an inclusive and forward-thinking workplace, ensure talent retention and drive organizational success?

In The Authentic Organization: How to Create a Psychologically Safe Workplace, CEO of the Psychological Safety Institute, Gina Battye, delivers a practical and actionable guide to creating a psychologically safe work environment.

Through the lens of the 5 Pillars of Psychological Safety, Gina explains what Psychological Safety is and its role in creating an inclusive workplace. You’ll dive into misconceptions about Psychological Safety, learn how to measure Psychological Safety in your workplace effectively, understand the key challenges businesses face and explore active industries and countries, as well as success factors.

Using the 5 Pillars of Psychological Safety as a framework, you’ll gain valuable insights and practical guidance on bringing your Authentic Self to work, effectively navigating workplace interactions and creating a highly conducive environment for teamwork and collaboration, resulting in increased innovation and enhanced problem-solving capabilities.

A must-read for anyone aiming to create psychologically safe work environments, The Authentic Organization is your comprehensive guide to cultivating a workplace where both individuals and teams can thrive and achieve their full potential.

Praise for THE AUTHENTIC ORGANIZATION

‘The Authentic Organization is an empowering guide, offering an approachable framework for organizations to go beyond diversity and inclusion. This book is an invaluable resource for any leader hoping to gain and maintain a competitive edge in today’s talent market!’
—Sergio Rodriguez, Senior Manager, Global Workforce DEI Solutions

‘The Authentic Organization deals with a hugely important topic – how to create Psychological Safety in the workplace. Through developing an intuitively appealing framework centred around the 5 Pillars of Psychological Safety, along with a number of practical hands-on tools on how to implement them, the book presents a highly valuable resource for practitioners who seek to create psychologically safe environments in their organisations. The book is insightful, practical, fun and easy to read!’
— Andreas Richter, Professor of Organisational Behaviour, University of Cambridge

‘This is a timely book, written with heart. There is an increasing focus on Psychological Safety and Gina brings the concept to life, explaining how to make it a reality for everyone in our organisations.’
—Simon Blake, Chief Executive Officer, Mental Health First Aid England

YOUR PRACTICAL GUIDE TO WORKPLACE PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY

The Authentic Organization: How to Create a Psychologically Safe Workplace is your essential guide to creating work environments where individuals and teams thrive. You’ll discover actionable strategies to establish a psychologically safe workplace; challenging and transforming outdated workplace cultures.

Gina Battye, CEO of the Psychological Safety Institute, leads you on a transformative journey equipping you with the skills and self-awareness you need to create a psychologically safe workplace. Using the 5 Pillars of Psychological Safety as your framework, Gina empowers you to bring your Authentic Self to work, master the art of workplace communication and intentionally design the environment to facilitate exceptional collaboration and teamwork. Additionally, she unveils strategies to nurture curiosity and creativity, ensuring that your workplace becomes a vibrant ecosystem for innovation and growth.

Packed with practical insights you can implement immediately, The Authentic Organization is a must-read resource for leaders, managers, HR and EDI professionals interested in cultivating an inclusive work environment that prioritizes authenticity, collaboration, innovation and organizational success. Whether you’re looking to enhance employee experience, increase productivity or cultivate a culture of belonging, this comprehensive guide provides the tools and insights you need to create lasting change.