As part of our series of blogs examining topics addressed in the proposed refreshed Code of Practice for Statistics, Dr James Tucker, Deputy Director for Health, International and Partnerships at the Office for National Statistics, shares his thoughts about psychological safety.
We’ve all heard the phrase “we need a culture change” at some point in our careers. But what exactly does the culture of an organisation entail, and how does it influence the quality of our work? Without a deep understanding of what constitutes culture, it’s easy for it to become just another buzzword.
My interest in this topic grew significantly when I established the Government Data Quality Hub, which aims to improve data quality across government. While having the right standards, guidance, and methods is crucial, these need to be coupled with the right organisational environment to facilitate quality improvement.
This exploration led me to the concept of “psychological safety”. Psychological safety refers to an environment where everyone feels respected, can share their views, and has positive intentions towards one another. In the context of improving the quality of our statistics, this means people feel comfortable raising issues, challenging the status quo, and proposing new ideas without fear of being perceived as negative or intrusive.
Have you ever had an idea that you believed could lead to significant improvements but hesitated to share it due to fear of negative consequences if it didn’t work out? Unfortunately, this is a common scenario and is an example of a cognitive bias called loss aversion. This bias can lead to various unwanted outcomes, such as unshared ideas and overlooked errors. In summary, silence enables mistakes and prevents improvements.
Creating a psychologically safe environment is a collective responsibility, but it is particularly important for leaders to take the initiative. This goes beyond simply saying “please speak up” or “my door is always open”. It involves actively inviting contributions, creating various forums and groups for the exchange of ideas, and ensuring people have opportunities to get to know one another. Governance plays a critical role here; people need to know where to raise issues, how to escalate them, and who is responsible for what.
I strongly believe that psychological safety is fundamental to developing a quality culture in all organisations. I am always delighted to discuss this topic further, so please feel free to get in touch with me.
The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), in its proposal for a refreshed Code of Practice for Statistics, guides statistical leaders to “encourage a quality culture that promotes good practice”, including by “provid[ing] a safe environment and support[ing] staff in raising quality concerns”.
We believe that when producer teams feel safe to share new ideas and raise concerns, and are supported in these efforts, the public can have greater confidence in the quality of the statistics delivered.
OSR has itself actively sought and embraced feedback from a range of people in developing its proposal. It is through these conversations that we hope to further strengthen the Code and increase its value not just for the public but all those who use it.
In the spirit of welcoming challenge and being open to innovation, we continue to invite all views on the proposed changes to the Code in our consultation.