How Do You Create Emotional Safety in Business and at Work?

From November 2015, resonating strongly as ever:

Last week, right before I delivered a presentation on building effective teams that produce financial results, I listened to another speaker’s presentation on effective / authentic business development. One of the wonderful concepts the speaker covered was that it was important to build emotional safety in the prospect-to-client conversion process, including but not limited to:

• Trust
• Confidentiality
• Reliable, Objective Data
• Healthy Discussion / Conflict
• Mutual Respect

before a business prospect could be converted authentically into a client. Moreover, I wholeheartedly agreed with the presenter that it can take 12 – 15 interactions before a prospective client can experience enough emotional safety with a service provider who provides support in confidential / financial / legal matters.  Ironically, after doing a smashing job outlining this marvelous concept of establishing emotional safety before asking for the sale, the presenter then proceeded to ask for the sale to purchase his related products before emotional safety was established with the audience, more specifically, me. Progress, not perfection.

However, the concept of emotional safety resonated authentically with me, both with external prospects / clients and internal employees / clients. Moreover, the process of building emotional safety is an ongoing / never-ending process, akin to (sic) “always be selling;” “always be recruiting;” “always be building emotional safety.”  For all stakeholders externally and internally, emotional safety is not achieved and sustained by 15 interactions; it is in fact a habit of ongoing interactions that sustains and grows emotional safety for all stakeholders.

As part of my own learning, I anchored my subsequent presentation for my audience, submitting to them that the strategic planning / team-building process I outlined below is all about building internal emotional safety for teams of employees to work together effectively and productively:

Building Blocks of Great Teams:

Conscious, Data-Driven Work and Practice

• Strategic Plan and Company Values
• Strategic S.M.A.R.T. Goals
• Strategic Talent Sourcing
• Team-Building  – Objective Principles
  • Communications Styles – Principles Before Personalities
  • Effectiveness with Each Style
  • Team Evolution
  • Assimilating New Team Members
• Effective Meeting Planning and Facilitation
• Walk Your Talk – Time, Agenda and Guidelines
• Track Goals and Accountability
• Lead / Monitor Your Firm Culture
• Celebrate / Reward Accomplishments.

How will you consistently create emotional safety for all stakeholders, internally and externally, in business and at work?