WEBVTT

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I'm Manveen Rana here in Davos,
and I'm joined by Ulrike from

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BCG.

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It's a pleasure to be with you,
thank you.

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Ulrike,

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we're going to be talking about
something which I think

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businesses probably aren't
thinking about enough, and

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that's psychological safety at
work.

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Just explain what that means.

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So you're right that leaders do
not talk enough about it.

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And it really means that people
can bring their whole self to

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work.

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They feel safe in speaking up,
they don't feel judged.

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They feel listened to.

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And they really can sort of
express their views,

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and somebody you know, to engage with their
leaders. It's incredibly

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important because that's the
only way to retain them, to

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encourage them, you know, for
creativity.

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In my view, it's the only way to
deal with the challenges that

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are around us and still have our
team's focus on what we also

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have to do, which is the work.

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Yeah.

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I mean, there probably aren't
many working cultures where

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everybody feels entirely
comfortable being able to say

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whatever they like.

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How would you advise leaders to
try and change a culture or to

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make people feel like they can
make them feel more comfortable,

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make them feel more comfortable
in their own skin, in the

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office?

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So I do think it starts with
listening and when I say

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listening, it's real listening.

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So really wanting to know what
the other side has to share.

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And the other thing is, one
needs to be relatable, right?

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If you are the perfect leader
that doesn't show any

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vulnerabilities, any of their
worries, and just is the

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superstar.

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I don't think that creates
psychological safety because

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then, you know, the tone from
the top seems to be that you

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have to be perfect, you know, at
work, and nobody is perfect,

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nobody has to be perfect.

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So I really do think this
encouragement to, on the one

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side to listen, and
encouragement for people to

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speak up and to share their
thoughts, is crucial.

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And every day, it's not just
here and there.

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It is sort of in every
conversation. And this isn't

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just sort of something which
makes, you know, a nice culture

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at work and that's why we should
do it.

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It actually has a real impact on
the way businesses perform.

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Tell us about that.

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It it really does.

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We've surveyed 28,000 people
across 15 countries and what has

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come out is that people are
twice as motivated.

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They think...their impression of
whether they can bring the whole

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self to work increases three
times.

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And what is also interesting is
that diverse groups and with

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that I mean people of color,
women, disabilities, whatever

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you can think of, they are
retained four to six times as

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likely than if there is not
psychological safety at work.

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So it has a real impact.

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It is totally real.

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That's amazing.

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So productivity gains and better
retention.

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Are you hearing businesses
talking about this a bit more

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now?

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Yes, but not enough.

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I do think that it is still, you
know, leaders still feel, many

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leaders still feel that they
have to be perfect. Which is a

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shame because again, nobody is,
and just the last several months

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show that nobody has the answers
and we really need to co-create.

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And you know, to co-create, you
can only do that if people feel

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safe, right.

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If people sort of put out their
ideas, put out their thoughts,

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they're not being charged for
it.

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They feel safe in doing it.

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So yes, I do think it has
started.

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I do think there's more to do.

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I think we have to role model it
every day and remind ourselves

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every day that we have to do it.

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Well, thank you for reminding
us.

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It's been really interesting
hearing about psychological

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safety.

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Thank you, Ulrike.

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Thank you so much.