Living in these uncertain times means there is a lot on our minds: tight purse strings and the impact on fundraising goals, trade wars and the unaffordability of household items, effects of climate change impacting our daily lives, EDI efforts being walked back, and growing anxiety.

Now more than ever before we crave spaces that feel safe, physically and psychologically. For some of us, it is possible for work to be that much-desired escape from a world gone awry, even more so in our industry that is focused on doing good.

Making your team a priority

Working in the nonprofit sector, where creating impact and being mission-driven mean so much, I often wonder why the health and safety of our teams takes up so little space in our leadership conversations and training? We talk about impact and goals, yet very seldom are leaders evaluated against the contentment and safety of their own teams. We pride ourselves on our donor-centricity and service orientation yet the team members who we interact with daily feel unheard, unseen and therefore unappreciated.

Psychological safety is often described as a feeling of safety or an environment where folks can speak freely, voice concerns and take risks without the fear of repercussions. There is a lot of research available on how this drives not only physical and mental health, but also increases productivity and innovation and reduces turnover. This is even more applicable when it comes to our equity-deserving colleagues who sometimes lack a sense of belonging. I contend that the safer and happier your team is the more likely you are to be successful—that the mark of a good manager is in the safety you can evoke on your team. So, what are the considerations in creating that haven for your team?

• Self-awareness is key to good leadership. If you have not yet taken the time to learn about your strengths and the shadow sides of those you may risk being unreasonable. The journey to leadership must begin with self-discovery. This can be through ongoing feedback from your managers, peers and personality assessments combined with an awareness of which activities bring you joy and what leaves you struggling or feeling depleted. I find a strength-based approach works best for me.
• Start with communication. Engage your team in the conversation around building safety. Let them know it’s on your mind. Accept and encourage when they make an effort to share more of themselves at work. Often folks will start small and retreat when they are shut down or if they are not provided that space.
• Be curious. Get to know your folks beyond the work they do. What do they enjoy? What keeps them up at night? All of this has implications on how they show up at work, especially with hybrid arrangements
• Model empathy. A little vulnerability will set the tone for your team. Acting with kindness is the bare minimum and it’s perfectly fine to admit you don’t have all the answers to the difficult questions. Have tough conversations instead of avoiding them. When you care about the people around you, it shows.
• Feedback should be a two-way street. When giving feedback it’s also good practice to ask for it in return. With different working styles the objective is to learn how best to work together.
• Always be aware of power dynamics. Despite putting team members at ease, there may be some who still hesitate to speak up. Don’t take this personally.
• As the leader you may never fully appreciate the impact of your words. Choose them wisely.
• Context is important. Connect the dots to the big picture strategies when delegating smaller tasks. Being connected to the purpose of why we do things leads to higher job satisfaction.
• As a manager, you may not always be able to share conversations you are having at the leadership table. However, you can build trust by being transparent and acknowledging that not all can be shared.
• Always have your team members back. This encourages a fail-forward culture. Admit your own mistakes and encourage them to tell you first! We all make errors in judgement, what is more important is what we learn from it.

Leading a team to success almost always involves coaching and mentoring

This is easier and far more effective when your people know you are rooting for them. Sharing examples of how you are navigating through challenges and mapping your way to solutions through particularly overwhelming situations opens the dialogue to creative ways of thinking. It can also serve as interesting case studies and enhance team-building efforts. In one of my favourite books, "Radical Candor", author Kim Scott says it best, “Care personally and challenge directly”.

Afshaan thrives on building strong, authentic relationships. Her work experience includes mid-level and major gift fundraising, gift implementation and volunteer engagement. She is passionate about continuous learning and inclusive leadership. She describes herself as a big picture thinker and facilitator of valuable conversations that drive impact and bring about change. Recently, her focus has been on team culture and removing silos when working with internal partners. afshaan@kohari.com