Shaw Industries

Brandon C. Springle

Can we embrace change while we grapple with unspoken fear? The answer is a resounding no. One of my greatest learnings in the last several years came from adapting to the new world of work ushered in by the global pandemic. Organizations all over the world had to navigate from a posture of forced innovation, influenced by constantly changing external factors. Worker preferences took center stage as organizations were faced with the paradox of meeting the needs of employees while striving to achieve lofty financial goals just to stay competitive. Managing the polarity of emerging worker needs and aligning strategy for sustainable business success requires a delicate balancing act. Clear prioritization is necessary, with choices and/or trade-offs fully understood.

During the chaos, several themes took center stage. These themes included heightened awareness around mental health, holistic well-being, psychological safety, flexible working arrangements, and an unprecedented uptick in job changes. Countless organizations leaned in and leveraged the conditions to enhance their employee value proposition, while other organizations did just enough to maintain their status quo. The dust is settling, and we are now faced with a brand-new set of choices. As we begin to see evidence that the ‘Great Resignation’ is subsiding, how might we move forward with the lessons worthy of embracing to cultivate a thriving high-performance culture?

My suggestion is that we start from a foundation that considers psychological health and safety. ‘Psychological safety’ was used in print as early as 1954, when famed psychologist, Carl Rogers, used the terminology in his work entitled, ‘Towards a Theory of Creativity.’ Psychological safety has been defined as “a belief that one's environment is conducive to interpersonal risk-taking, specifically speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, and mistakes," by Amy Edmondson, who authored, ‘The Fearless Organization.’ As we learn more, we understand that psychological safety is a critical element that is just beneath the surface of positive workplace culture. In ‘The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety,” Timothy Clark defines psychological safety as “a culture of rewarded vulnerability.’ This definition reveals the connection between psychological safety and cultural architecture that will open your eyes to what I believe to be a critical insight that is, at times, overlooked.

"Prioritizing safety at the beginning will best position organizational change efforts for success, with emphasis on understanding the workforce's relative span of experiences"

As we begin to explore nuances of successful organizational change, we find clear linkages to psychological health and safety. The International Organization for Standardization published ISO 45003:2021 to provide guidance for employers during the global pandemic and beyond. OD (organizational development) leaders should keep this guidance standard at the forefront of their plans as they plan for organizational change efforts. ISO 45003:2021 lists psychosocial hazards and related workplace risks. Psychosocial hazards are defined by how work is organized, the social environment, and equipment/resources. Psychosocial risk relates to the potential outcomes based on psychosocial hazards being present over time. The risk of prolonged exposure to psychosocial hazards includes stress, lack of motivation, confusion, elevated blood pressure, cardiovascular concerns, injury, anxiety, anger, depression, PTSD, and fatigue. The key difference with ‘psychosocial’ is the relationship and social factors that are interrelated with thoughts and behaviors. ‘Psychological’ relates to what arises in the human mind and how that affects our emotional state. There are intricacies in these concepts that create both distinctive response strategies as well as an aligned focus where close connectivity of hazards are present.

The ISO standard mentioned above reveals several key challenges that OD leaders encounter in any organizational design or enhancement effort. Psychosocial hazards include poor role design, lack of role clarity, isolated work, excessive workloads, lack of autonomy, poorly executed change management, ineffective communication, a lack of internal support (peers and leaders), bullying, harassment, and discrimination. Psychosocial risk depending on hazard severity, can negatively affect the employees and overarching organizational performance. With an understanding of the potential outcomes based on psychosocial risk assessment, it is important to approach work systems and change management through brand-new lenses.

The guidance, as outlined, gives a fresh perspective on how we might approach organizational change in the present and future. It is imperative for an OD leader to assess psychological health and safety factors. There are survey tools that can be used to measure psychological safety at the earliest stages of organizational development needs. This initial assessment will provide insights reinforced by tangible data to help steer you in the right direction. These insights may lead you to conduct a follow-up assessment to evaluate psychosocial hazards to further forecast the level of potential psychosocial risk associated with expected changes. Actively listening and seeking to understand from a posture of curiosity will unveil hidden fears. Responding to these concerns with empathy and careful consideration paves the way to accelerate change adoption at the point of readiness. An effective communication strategy will highlight the diligence shown in the listening and response efforts.

As the world turns, the only consistent factor we face is that change is inevitable. Organizational change is complex work, and leaders must be aware of the emotional toll it will create within the work environment affected. Research has shown that burnout is at an all-time high, and the effect in the workplace is clear. Compassion fatigue, depression, and other factors are unfortunately being experienced due to the tumultuous economic climate and related stressors. Volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) factors will further tarnish our efforts if the change management strategy does not place the human experience at the center. Prioritizing safety at the beginning will best position organizational change efforts for success, with an emphasis on understanding the workforce's relative span of experiences.