If you’ve invested effort into psychosocial risk management, well done.

But does progress often feels slow?.

Maybe it’s not about the policies or procedures. Maybe, it's because your people don’t know how to address the deeper behavioural changes needed. Or maybe the cultural changes needed are being ignored. .

What we know is that clear that psychosocial safety requires far more than compliance. Deep down, you probably already know the truth, It requires leadership.

What is preventing my organisation from embedding psychosocial safety?

Many organisations focus on technical solutions because they are familiar and easy. Technical solutions are measurable and easy to implement. However, psychosocial safety will stall when organisations don’t pay attention to the adaptive work needed to change beliefs. When those foundational beliefs are changed then we can expect to see a change in behaviours and normal workplace habits.

I get why technical solutions get all the attention. It feels good and achievable to update policies, review documentation and create templates; it’s what we know and do regularly. These activities are necessary.

The problem is, they’re not going to automatically change how people think, behave or lead. If we don’t have cultural change, psychosocial safety risks just becomes yet another compliance activity, rather than an embedded way of working.

The difference between technical and adaptive challenges.

Technical challenges are clearly defined problems with obvious solutions. Adaptive challenges require people to rethink their assumptions, change behaviours and work through things that are uncertain.

According to adaptive leadership theorists Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky, technical challenges can be solved through expertise and existing processes. Adaptive challenges are different because there is no simple fix.

A technical challenge might be updating a Work Health and Safety Management System to include psychosocial risks.

An adaptive challenge might be:

• A leader who sees someone not coping as an individual resilience issue

• A team member who interprets constructive feedback as unsafe

• A culture that rewards overwork while promoting wellbeing

These situations require reflective mindfulness, robust conversation and behavioural change.

Why leaders struggle with psychosocial safety?

Many leaders genuinely want to support wellbeing but feel are not always sure about where their responsibilities begin and end. This uncertainty cause them to hesitate and even become resistant.

Conversations around mental health become more prevalent. However what I see in my coaching and training is more and more leaders becoming nervous and worrying about saying the wrong thing or crossing professional boundaries.

Others feel like they need to be counsellors or avoid difficult performance conversations altogether if they’re going to do the whole psychological safety thing. It’s when leaders are not sure about their role or the best process they will likely disengage from conversations rather than courageously participate in them. Remember courage does not mean you have all the answers, can predict what will happen or are super confident.

Courage means you can enter an unpredictable environment equipped with options, tools and strategies so that you can apply critical thinking and adaptive thinking, know you will come out the other end okay.

Why do people resistance change to psychosocial safety?

Most of us are resistant to change. When leaders feel the pressure directly focused on them, it can sometimes create opposition rather than commitment.

The more people are pressured to change, the more likely they are to push back.

I often see this when coaching or training at executive level. I see resistance appear in subtle forms such as:

• Protecting the status quo

• Avoiding personal blind spots

• Prioritising immediate operational pressures

• Off loading responsibility to HR

We can’t just tell people what to do, they’ll put it off, the real change requires us to influence the change (e.g. “What’s in it for me?”)

How does executive leadership influence psychosocial safety?

Psychosocial safety initiatives will gain traction when leaders focus on modelling the behaviours they expect from others. Most of us know that leaders being visible in their commitment, means that cultural change will start to take hold. You can’t just delegate adaptive change.

Through my coaching, I equip leaders to focus on curiosity, openness, vulnerability and accountability. This will create the environment for the change that’s needed.

Things like:

• Openly discussing workload pressures

• Regularly reviewing work demands and collaborating on prioritisation

• Speaking out against bullying and harassment

• Demonstrating healthy work practices themselves

Culture will naturally follow the behaviour, especially when that behaviour is displayed by those in leadership positions.

It’s ambiguity that is the challenge in psychosocial risk management

Unfortunately psychosocial risks are influenced by the systems, relationships and workplace conditions work together. Psychological risk is not like many traditional safety risks because there’s not always a straightforward solution.

Safework Australia and NT Work safe can provide some good guidance, however, leaders are still required to work through situations with their own judgement.

Things leaders need to think about are:

• What are the appropriate guardrails?

• How do I address underperformance fairly?

• When does my strong leadership become unreasonable management?

Leaders need coaching support to navigate this, otherwise you can expect avoidance or overreactions. This just contradicts what we’re trying to create with a psychologically healthy workplace.

Technical foundations are still essential.

We still need strong technical systems for psychosocial risk management ; they’re critical. They provide the structure and clarity organisations need to ensure actions are effective.

Key foundations include:

• Clearly defined responsibilities

• Up to date WHS documentation

• Useful templates and tools

• Training on psychosocial risk duties

• Understanding regulatory requirements

Like all WHS, these elements establish consistency and accountability across the organisation.

How organisations move from compliance to culture

Sustainable psychosocial safety occurs when technical systems are combined with leadership behaviour. This also requires a bit of a mindset change and organisational learning.

We recommend the following:

1. Executive role modelling

Leaders need to demonstrate the behaviours they want others to take on. When they are visible with their commitment, they will inevitably create credibility and trust.

2. Mindset shifts

Coaching and targeted conversations will challenge assumptions that create resistance to change.

3. Behaviour change

Organisations need to redefine what safe and effective leadership looks like. Leadership is constantly evolving and leaders should be supported with regular training and coaching opportunities.

Adaptive leadership is important for psychosocial safety

Policies create structure. Leadership creates culture. Without adaptive leadership, even the strongest psychosocial safety framework will struggle to gain momentum. When leaders are willing to jump into activity that is complex, remain open to learning and model new behaviours, the necessary change will happen.

FAQ

Can psychosocial safety be achieved just through policy?

No. Policies provide important guidelines, but sustainable psychosocial safety requires behavioural and cultural change led by leaders.

Who is responsible for psychosocial safety in an organisation?

Psychosocial safety is a shared responsibility. While HR plays a critical role, executive leaders must own it as a strategic, cultural and operational priority as well.

Why do psychosocial safety initiatives fail?

Many initiatives focus heavily on technical compliance while not paying attention to adaptive challenges such as leadership behaviour, mindset shifts and cultural norms.

What is an example of an adaptive challenge?

A culture that rewards excessive workloads while promoting wellbeing is an adaptive challenge because it requires changes in beliefs, behaviours and leadership practices.

What role does HR play in psychosocial safety?

HR helps leaders understand psychosocial risks from a WHS point of view However they can also provide guidance on navigating adaptive barriers, help build capability and create structures that support sustainable behavioural change.

Source: How to overcome the adaptive challenges of psychosocial safety | Tanya Heaney-Voogt, AHRI

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