6. Evaluate and maintain
The challenge now is to maintain and build on the work that you have done. As many organizations have noted, implementing the Standard and enhancing workplace psychological health and safety involves a change in organizational culture – namely, the values, beliefs and principles of the members of an organization that help guide both internal and external relationships.
By choosing to use these tools, you have made strides towards developing a culture of safety, and more specifically, a culture of psychological safety. Sustaining a culture of psychological safety requires ongoing attention to the five elements of the Standard Psychological Health and Safety Management System: commitment, planning, implementation, evaluation, and management review. Just as the Standard will be reviewed and updated to reflect current knowledge and practice, these underlying elements must be monitored and modified, as needed.
The following suggestions are provided to assist you and your organizational colleagues in continuing your progress:
Communicate widely
If you have created a communication strategy for informing PSO workers about relevant policies, practices and programs, keep at it. Review your strategies and methods of communication on a regular basis to keep them fresh and relevant. Many successful organizations have observed that using the term “psychological health and safety” at all levels of conversation and documentation helps to embed the lens within the culture of the organization.
Share the responsibility
Encourage others to get involved in your organization’s efforts to enhance workplace psychological health and safety. A well-designed and representative action team will enhance the sustainability of organizational culture change. It is important that the team is actively supported by senior leaders and they have adequate resources available, including time, money and access to information.
Measure your progress
Review and focus your indicators more specifically on information about employee psychological health and safety. Consider both qualitative and quantitative data. Integrating survey data with information from worker forums or focus groups will clarify findings and will help guide your implementation efforts.
Develop a support system and share your knowledge
While the implementation journey for each organization is unique, similar issues arrive for many. We encourage you to stay connected with other organizations in order to share your stories and your successes.
