Ep 164: Transforming Workplaces Through Trust and Safe Failures with Steven Van Cohen

  In this episode of Bridging the Gap, Matt Reiner and Steven Van Cohen delve into the importance of creating a psychologically safe and inclusive workplace. They explore the many elements that are crucial to fostering a supportive work environment, such as addressing feelings of loneliness among team members and emphasizing the need for genuine connections. Steven opens up about how loneliness at work manifests and how leaders can identify and address it through regular check-ins and clear communication. They stress the necessity of permitting young professionals to ‘fail safely,’ a concept that encourages learning through mistakes within a supportive framework.

This discussion ties into the broader theme of psychological safety that Google has identified as essential for team success through its own meta-analysis. Steven’s passion for the topic is evident, as he draws from his experiences and references books to underline the power of influence without being overly prescriptive. He emphasizes the need for intentional time investment in building connections, akin to allocating time for exercise or meals, as a means to combat disconnection and loneliness driven by busy work schedules.

This episode opens up about how leaders should invest in weekly informal one-on-one check-ins with their team members to significantly increase engagement and retention, creating opportunities for young professionals to fail safely can foster a culture of learning and growth, helping them develop resilience and problem-solving skills, and building genuine connections through activities like team check-ins, validating questions, and clear communication can alleviate loneliness and enhance team cohesion and productivity. The episode concludes with actionable advice on how leaders can maintain engagement and foster a sense of belonging within their teams, enhancing productivity and employee well-being in the process. Tune into this episode with Steven Van Cohen to learn more about how to elevate your team and encourage team engagement.