Fortunately, there are many tools around that facilitate the first steps towards a psychologically safe environment. For my personal experience, I can recommend the following:
Team Canvas
The
Team Canvas helped me create a space where my team and I can talk openly about our shared values and goals and individual needs, expectations, strengths, and weaknesses. Important: Block enough time for the workshop to have deep conversations.
Telling Our Stories
Telling Our Stories is more of a one-off tool at the very beginning of a new team. In contrast to the Team Canvas, it creates a more personal understanding of the individual members.
Check-In / Check-Out
Daily check-ins and check-outs create an environment in which every team member gets heard. Besides the benefit of task transparency, this tool allows the people to share their current state of mind.
Stinky Fish
The
Stinky Fish is a quick activity that’s best suited for project teams. Its focus is all about fears, anxieties, and uncertainties related to the project. Stinky Fish effectively enables openness within a group.
Reflection & Feedback Sessions
Too often, we’re absorbed by the daily business. I found it helpful to block time for dedicated feedback and reflection sessions.
For reflection, it is essential to talk from the I. We tend to speak in more general terms, and therefore exclude our feelings from the reflection.