Leading Business Change & Psychological Safety Workshop

Leading business change & psychological safety….

….from resistance to resilience

Last week, I had the pleasure of running a leadership network event for Housing Association leaders and directors at Tower Bridge, focussed on Leading Business Change & Psychological Safety. Although the audience came from the housing sector, the themes of the session apply to leaders across all industries – leading change, improving culture and the confidence to lead both with greater commercial success.

In the session we explored the messy reality of change such as the resistance, the uncertainty and the human reactions (such as emotion) that can derail even the best strategies. Change, as we know is often expensive, difficult and failure intensive, the odds of success are not in your favour. But with specific attention we can tip that balance and greatly improve matters using our five-step EXACT process, which the group worked the

In addition, we had a specific session on the role of psychological safety which is an essential cultural ingredient that allows people to speak up, share ideas and challenge constructively without fear. In my experience, it’s often the missing piece that determines whether change efforts succeed or stall.

We had strong engagement and some brilliant discussions. The group shared real world examples of leading change within their own organisations included what worked, what didn’t and what they’d do differently next time.

The feedback from the organisers and participants was fantastic, which is as much if not more about their participation, the importance of the topics as about me:

·        “Great topic, and relevant to current times.”

·        “PJ was fantastic — I found the discussions very helpful, and it was useful to talk to peers about how to navigate and implement effective change.”

·        “Right amount of interactivity with delegates and a good pace.”

·        “A very engaging subject and a fantastic speaker!”

·        “Well organised and brilliant all around. 😊”

One of the things I love most about sessions like this is the energy that comes from leaders sharing honestly and deeply. Whether it’s about culture, performance or the personal challenges of leadership, it’s in those conversations where the connection, understanding and learning happens.

After the event, I offered to host a virtual peer group follow-up session which is something I’ve found incredibly valuable in my work with leadership teams. The peer group follow up allows people to reconnect once they’ve had time to reflect, test ideas and face the realities of applying new thinking back in their businesses. It’s often in these smaller, developmental conversations where feedback, growth and deeper value emerges for participants.

The organisers have since confirmed strong interest in the follow-up, which we’ve scheduled for later this month. They also sent a warm message of thanks:

“Thank you again for your contribution to making the event a success! We received fantastic feedback from attendees, and it was a brilliant all-around session.”

Leading business change is never easy. It demands clarity, consistency and courage from leaders and their teams. Psychological safety isn’t a nice-to-have’, it’s a performance enabler and significant commercial advantage. When people feel safe to speak up, challenge and collaborate, organisations move from resistance to resilience which is when change and transformation can truly happen.

If you’d like to explore how these ideas could support your business or leadership team, I’m always happy to chat.

Photos are taken on phones from people in the room and are courtesy of Connex Leadership Network at their Event with their clients on Leading Business Change and the commercial importance of Psychological Safety.