• The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation Timothy R. Clark, Ph.D.
• Session Outline: Based on his new book, The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation, Dr. Timothy R. Clark, an Oxford-trained social scientist and global thought leader, will share his breakthrough research on the topic of psychological safety.In 2021, organizations around the world are striving to achieve two goals: The first is to create a sanctuary of inclusion. The second is to create an incubator of innovation. These goals can only be accomplished when leaders model and reinforce psychological safety to activate the full potential of people. Psychological safety refers to “an environment of rewarded vulnerability”-- a place where it's not expensive to be yourself. But psychological safety is not a binary proposition. It's a matter of degree. When leaders nurture psychological safety to the highest levels, individuals are able to climb the ladder of personal vulnerability and do four things:

1. 1. Feel included

   2. Feel safe to learn

   3. Feel safe to contribute

   4. Feel safe to challenge the status quo

• And they can do all of these things without feeling embarrassed, marginalized, or punished in some way. When psychological safety is low, when acts of vulnerability are punished rather than rewarded, human interaction: (1) activates the pain centers of the brain, (2) triggers the self-censoring instinct, and (3) shifts the individual to a defensive mode of performance. These negative consequences to the individual eventually compound into adverse impact to the organization in the form of lost productivity, lower quality, poor customer experience, and bleeding talent. 

• On the other hand, when organizations progress through the 4 stages, they can, in fact, create sanctuaries of inclusion and incubators of innovation. Dr. Clark will introduce concepts, skills, and behaviors that will help participants create high levels of psychological safety in their organizations to unleash and accelerate the development of their people.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will be able to:

• Frame cultural transformation as an effort to create a sanctuary of inclusion and incubator of innovation.

• Define the concept of psychological safety and its relationship to inclusion and innovation.

• Explain the linear progression of psychological safety through four successive stages of 1). Inclusion safety, 2). Learner safety, 3). Contributor safety, and 4). Challenger safety.

• Apply specific behaviors that will increase psychological safety in each stage.