Psychological Safety in Action: Creating Safer, Stronger Teams

During the expert session, Tash Koster-Thomas engages the audience through interactive exercises using the Mentimeter app, Q&A sessions, and live demonstrations. 

• Establishing Psychological Safety Foundations: Creating an inclusive work environment where individuals feel heard and valued is the first step in building psychological safety. Leaders can start by setting ground rules that encourage open communication, modeling vulnerability, and trusting team members.
• Neuroscience and Psychological Safety: Understanding the neuroscientific principles behind psychological safety can help leaders create a more effective work environment. These principles include purpose, learner safety, contributor safety, and challenger safety. 
• Measuring and Improving Psychological Safety: Collecting hard data through employee surveys and anecdotal evidence is crucial in measuring psychological safety within a team or organization. Leaders should respond positively when team members share their ideas, address power dynamics, and create opportunities for collaboration to improve psychological safety.

In this expert session, 'Psychological Safety in Action: Creating Safer, Stronger Teams', speaker Tash discussed the significance of psychological safety in the workplace and its impact on mental health and performance. Psychological safety is a shared understanding among team members that they can express ideas, concerns, make mistakes, and challenge each other without fear of retaliation or judgment. This sense of security leads to reduced stress levels, improved collaboration, innovation, and better mental health.

Tash introduced the three core principles for creating psychological safety from Amy Edmonson's research: framing work as a learning problem, modeling curiosity, and building a culture of psychological safety through trust and respect. She also emphasized the importance of neuroscience in understanding how behaviors affect brain chemistry to create either a state of learning and engagement or fear and stress.

The speaker then delved deeper into the role of psychological safety within teams, focusing on the responsibility of leaders in fostering a safer work environment. Tash highlighted four stages in creating psychological safety: establishing trust, setting ground rules, encouraging open communication, and practicing constructive feedback.

At the foundation of psychological safety is trust. Leaders should create an inclusive environment where team members feel valued and safe to be themselves. Learner safety follows, which requires vulnerability from both leaders and team members for open communication and growth. Contributor safety empowers individuals to contribute effectively without fear of being undermined or ignored, while challenger safety encourages team members to challenge the status quo with new ideas. She also advocated collecting hard data through employee surveys to measure psychological safety within an organization and addressing power dynamics between team members.

The expert session concluded with Tash emphasizing that individuals leading by example, starting with small interactions like using affirmative language and genuine interest in others' opinions, can foster psychological safety and build stronger teams.

 

Advancing Gender Equity Through Inclusive Workplace Practices

This session focuses on exploring the systemic barriers that contribute to gender disparities in the workplace. It emphasises the importance of creating inclusive policies and practices that ensure equal opportunities for all genders. The discussion includes real-world examples, statistical data, and personal stories to highlight the pervasive nature of gender bias. Participants engage in interactive activities to develop actionable strategies aimed at promoting gender equity in their own organisation.

 

Inclusive Leadership: Succeeding Across Cultures

This session equips leaders with the knowledge and tools to build strong, respectful relationships across cultural boundaries. Participants will explore cultural dimensions, communication styles, and leadership approaches that vary across global contexts. Through interactive activities, case studies, and self-reflection, leaders will gain insight into their own cultural perspectives and learn strategies to bridge differences, foster inclusivity, and drive results in diverse environments. By the end of the session, leaders will be prepared to lead more effectively and inclusively across cultures, promoting collaboration and innovation.

 

Building Inclusive Workplaces: Allyship for Disability and Neurodiversity

This session is designed to empower participants with the knowledge and tools to become effective allies for colleagues with disabilities and are neurodiverse in the workplace. Being an ally means actively creating a supportive, accessible, and equitable environment where all employees can succeed. We will explore practical strategies that make a meaningful difference, from rethinking communication and accessibility to challenging biases and fostering a culture of inclusivity.

 

Advancing Equity: A Call to Action for Anti-Racism

This session focuses on understanding, empathy, and action. Racism permeates our society in both subtle and overt ways, profoundly impacting individuals and communities. Recognizing this is the first step toward meaningful change. We will explore how biases shape our perceptions, how stereotypes reinforce inequality, and how systems of oppression persist. By fostering a deeper awareness of these realities, we can begin to dismantle harmful structures and promote a culture of inclusivity and equity—where every person is valued and respected, regardless of race or ethnicity.

 

Intersectionality - Including ALL Women

The session explores how overlapping identities such as race, gender, sexuality, disability, culture, and age shape women’s experiences at work. Tash Koster-Thomas explains how these intersections create unique challenges that are often overlooked in traditional gender-equity conversations. She emphasizes the need for better allyship and support—both between women and from wider teams—and outlines practical steps organisations can take to create fairer, more inclusive environments where all women can thrive.

 

Women Empowerment in the Workplace

In this session, Tash explores women’s empowerment in the workplace through an intersectional lens. She highlights common challenges like the gender pay gap and lack of leadership representation, while noting additional barriers faced by Black, Latina, disabled, LGBTQ+, and older women. Microaggressions, such as being interrupted or dismissed, can undermine confidence and career growth. Tash recommends self-advocacy, tracking achievements, negotiating salaries, and building diverse mentor networks. Allies, including men, should recognize intersecting challenges and support inclusive policies.

 

LGBTQ+ Language & Terminology

This expert session focused on understanding LGBTQ+ language and terminology and highlighted how important inclusive communication is. Participants learned that identity is complex and personal, and that respectful, accurate language helps create a sense of belonging. The session emphasized the value of recognizing diversity within the LGBTQ+ community and staying open to evolving terminology. It also introduced the concept of intersectionality, encouraging participants to consider how different aspects of identity can shape people’s experiences. A key message was the importance of creating psychologically safe spaces, promoting inclusive practices, and challenging discrimination. 

 

LGBTQIA+ Inclusion for Advocates and Allies

This expert session highlights the importance of increasing awareness and understanding of the challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals worldwide. It emphasizes how legal discrimination, microaggressions, overt exclusion, and lack of representation can harm mental well-being and create barriers to safety and belonging. The session encourages participants to reflect on their role as allies by educating themselves, challenging discrimination, and supporting inclusive environments. Key to meaningful allyship is recognizing personal biases, listening respectfully, and using inclusive language. Tash also suggests learning through accessible resources such as media, social platforms, and respectful conversations without placing the burden on LGBTQIA+ people. Overall, the session serves as a call to action to help build a more inclusive, supportive, and affirming society for all.