DAI5 Implementation to Creating Psychological Safety

DAI5 Framework Conversation: Creating Psychological Safety

The Case:

" When I met with my manager to present the data, which showed that we hadn’t recouped our investment and the initiative had performed worse than planned, I was nervous. I would’ve understood if she had been frustrated or even angry and I expected her to at least ask “What went wrong?” or “How could we have prevented this?” (both questions I’d prepared answers for)."

DAI5 Solution:

Step 1: Deep Awareness (of) I

The leader begins with a moment of reflection, recognizing their role as a conscious participant in the interaction. They focus on being deeply aware of their intention to foster a supportive environment for learning and growth, aligned with the greater purpose of empowering the team.

Leader's Internal Reflection: "I am here to guide and support this team toward learning and improvement, without judgment or blame. My role is to help uncover valuable insights for collective growth while keeping our shared purpose in mind."

Step 2: Intention

The leader consciously sets the intention to create a psychologically safe space where team members can share openly and explore mistakes constructively.

Leader’s Opening Question: "I want us to treat every experience, whether it meets our expectations or not, as an opportunity to learn and grow. My intention today is for us to uncover insights together from this initiative. Let’s explore this with openness and curiosity."

Step 3: Initial Thinking (about the Problem)

The leader invites the team member to present the data and their analysis while demonstrating a learning-oriented mindset.

Leader’s Response to Presentation: "Thank you for preparing this. It’s clear that you’ve put thought into understanding what happened. Let’s take a step back and reflect on the process. What patterns or challenges do you think contributed to these results?"

This response reframes the situation, emphasizing curiosity rather than judgment.

Step 4: Idealization

The leader encourages the team to think about ideal outcomes and approaches for the future, focusing on collaborative problem-solving rather than assigning blame.

Leader’s Question: "Given what we’ve learned from this, what changes or adjustments would you suggest for future initiatives? How can we ensure better alignment with our goals?"

This step empowers the team member to propose improvements, fostering a sense of ownership and contribution.

Step 5: Instruction (Set)

The leader works with the team to establish actionable steps based on their insights, ensuring everyone understands how to move forward.

Leader’s Guidance:

"Let’s document the key lessons from this initiative and identify specific actions we can take moving forward. For example, we might refine our planning process or set up more frequent checkpoints. What are your thoughts on the best ways to implement these changes?"

The leader integrates feedback into a structured plan, creating clarity and shared commitment.

Key Principles in Action

1. Replace Blame with Curiosity:

The leader avoids judgmental language and instead asks open-ended questions to explore the situation collaboratively.

2. Normalize Vulnerability:

By admitting their own fallibility and framing mistakes as part of the learning process, the leader models behavior that encourages psychological safety.

3. Maintain Purposeful Remembrance:

The leader continuously aligns the team’s learning and actions with the higher purpose of collective growth and improvement, fostering a culture of shared accountability and trust.

Outcome:

By applying the DAI5 Framework, the leader creates a psychologically safe environment where team members feel empowered to share insights, voice concerns, and contribute to continuous improvement, all while maintaining alignment with shared values and objectives.