Developing Psychological Safety in Teams Using A Card Deck

Psychological safety is often described as being able to express oneself without fear of judgment, criticism, or mockery that may affect their status, career, or self-image. In psychologically safe teams, members express mutual respect. “A team feels psychologically safe to its members”, Harri Kaloudis writes, “when they share the belief that within the team they will not be exposed to interpersonal or social threats to their self or identity, their status or standing and to their career or employment, when engaging in learning behaviours such as asking for help, seeking feedback, admitting errors or lack of knowledge, trying something new or voicing work-related dissenting views.”

In a study by Kim and Jang (2018), on Seafarers’ Quality of Life, it is shown that organizational culture has a direct effect on a person’s self-efficacy. In turn, the level of efficacy a person has also affects their quality of work life. In short, when the culture is poor, the people are discouraged, which affects how they feel about the work. Surprised? I’m not. A lot of my work today is geared towards helping individuals and teams build a sense of mental resiliency and socialization amongst each other to reduce illness and injury in the workplace. Health research has shown me that in order to build psychological safety amongst teams, we need three core elements:

1) Self-awareness

2) Team activities that allow people to share their current emotional state

3) Promotion and practice from the top - down

While it all seems so simple, the struggle to build company culture across remote teams has challenged so many of us.

A tool for building psychologically safe teams

Self-awareness is core to creating a psychologically safe environment because people bring their whole selves to work. Whatever goes on in their lives outside of work may affect the way they act and perceive information in the workplace. And these days, the work from home set ups challenge all of us to find our way around creating a semblance of sanity in our day-to-day. So, how can we take better care of our teams while encouraging self-awareness and improved mental health?

My Soul Brief-Case is a card deck that allows for self-reflection and group sharing around particular challenges that anyone might be facing. Now, I know how difficult it can be for managers to have to navigate the emotional states of their teams while having to get the work done.

This is why My Soul Brief-Case is handy for teams that need help opening up to one another and finding solutions to the problems they currently face, giving them back a sense of power and control over the outcomes of their situation. The deck is based on therapeutic techniques that range from choice theory to cognitive behavioral therapy, allowing managers and team members alike the chance to derive insight and reflection on their own. It’s the perfect HR tool for basic processing and emotional support.

What is My Soul Brief-Case?

It’s a self-help therapy card deck that was designed by a licensed psychologist over the pandemic. The intention is to help individuals who are feeling overwhelmed to use a tool that will guide them through the process. Cards a perfect way of beginning the reflective process, as the flexibility to shuffle them around and pull at random allows you to approach any situation in at least 100 different ways.

There are 50 cards in the deck with 4 colors that help guide you through the process - 10 green, 10 blue, 20 yellow, and 10 red. The green cards, like a traffic light, prompt you to begin the conversation - either with yourself, a trusted friend, or your team. The yellow cards, help you slow down, explore, and re-imagine your outcomes. The red cards indicate that you are now ready to bring the process to a close and consider your action steps. And finally, the blue cards contain images that speak to your subconscious mind, helping you process symbols and access your imagination.

Using the cards with your team

Team members are encouraged to have a set of cards they can use on their own. This way they can have time to process in private. Within the team, I would encourage using these cards at least once a month. Gather everyone on a virtual call, pull 1 green card, 1 yellow, and 1 red, for everyone to work through. You can take a picture of the card and share it on the screen for everyone to see. And from there, take turns answering.

I think the best part about having the cards is that it allows you to take an emotional break from having to curate the conversation. All you have to do is listen and allow the answers to unfold.

Want your own set?

Click here to purchase your own deck for Php 1,200.00.

Cards are also available in Hong Kong, Europe, Australia, and USA. For international orders, PayPal link shall be sent via email with shipping fee to be calculated based on customer's address. (Global Shipping starts at Php 500.00/ USD 10).

For advocacy collaborations, send us a message through mysoulcollabs@gmail.com