Your Voice Matters: Understanding Psychological Safety

The School of Business and Management (BBA), in collaboration with the Centre for Counselling and Health Services (CCHS), organized a capacity-building session titled “Your Voice Matters: Understanding Psychological Safety”on 18th and 22nd September 2025 targeting overall well-being and progression of the students. The initiative was specially designed as part of the life skills development for first-year BBA students with the aim of sensitizing them to the importance of psychological safety in personal, academic, and professional settings. Altogether, 175 students benefitted from the sessions, which were structured to combine theory, interactive discussions, activities, and reflective exercises, making the learning experience engaging and impactful. 

The sessions were conducted in the respective first-year classrooms at different times. On 18th September, the programme was delivered to 1 BBA Hons at 9:30 AM by Munira Ma’am, followed by 1 BBA A at 11:30 AM by Lama Ma’am. On 22nd September, 1 BBA B attended the session at 9:30 AM under the guidance of Munira Ma’am, while 1 BBA C participated at 10:30 AM with Lama Ma’am.

The session commenced with an introduction to the concept of psychological safety, highlighting its relevance to personal growth, teamwork, and adaptability in academic and workplace environments. Facilitators emphasized that psychological safety is essential not only for individual development but also for fostering inclusive and supportive communities. Students were introduced to Walter Mischel’s theory of personality, which underlines the situational aspects of behavior. This framework helped students understand how safe or unsafe environments significantly influence adaptability, decision-making, and self-perception. Reflective discussions encouraged them to connect these insights with real-life situations, helping them recognize instances where the presence or absence of psychological safety shaped their actions.

To deepen engagement, a storytelling activity was conducted wherein students analyzed narratives to identify psychologically safe and unsafe environments. This exercise sharpened their ability to pick up on subtle cues in behavior and communication, promoting critical thinking and empathy. The session further addressed the topic of anxiety and its physiological manifestations, such as rapid heartbeat, sweating, and difficulty concentrating. Facilitators shared practical coping strategies for managing anxiety in stressful contexts, enabling students to equip themselves with tools to handle academic and workplace pressures.

An experiential approach was adopted through role-play exercises. Students imagined themselves in their first jobs, placed in psychologically unsafe environments, and were asked to devise strategies their “future selves” could use. This activity proved transformative, as it encouraged students to practice constructive responses such as assertive communication, setting healthy boundaries, and seeking mentorship. Through this exercise, they not only developed empathy but also built practical resilience for future challenges.

The sessions also introduced students to the support systems available on campus, including counselling services and peer support networks. By providing this information, facilitators reinforced the importance of help-seeking behavior as a step toward maintaining mental and emotional well-being. An informative video on psychological safety further enriched the discussion, making the abstract concept more relatable and applicable to diverse professional and social settings.

The concluding activity brought a creative and engaging element to the sessions. Students performed short enactments of various scenarios while their peers analyzed whether the environments portrayed were psychologically safe or unsafe. The class then collaboratively brainstormed strategies to transform unsafe environments into supportive ones. This activity not only reinforced the learnings of the session but also ended on a reflective yet lighthearted note, leaving students with memorable takeaways.

In conclusion, the program effectively achieved its objectives by building awareness, fostering reflection, and providing first-year students with practical strategies to navigate environments that may challenge their psychological safety. By integrating theory with experiential learning, the sessions made a lasting impact, helping participants recognize the deep connection between mental well-being, teamwork, and professional success. This early exposure to the concept of psychological safety is expected to guide students in shaping inclusive, resilient, and empathetic spaces in their academic journeys and beyond. This initiative set a benchmark for future capacity-building programs aimed at nurturing holistic development and emotional intelligence among students.