Last year, Caroline Tervoort was awarded CHRO of the Year 2023. As CHRO at KPMG, she recognizes the significant importance of the ‘hard side’ of HR – which includes areas like artificial intelligence and data - but she personally believes especially in the power of the 'human side’. For instance, creating psychological safety. ‘I feel strongly committed to this social aspect.’

ABN AMRO CHRO Suzanne van Niekerk wants to deal with employees in a sustainable way while also building a diverse workforce. This also means dealing with different generations, cultures and views in the company. So how does a company remain unified with an inclusive atmosphere? Van Niekerk listens, gets managers to listen and continuously engages in the conversation - with success. Yet even she sometimes runs up against the limits of psychological safety, as insensitivity from society does seep into companies. ‘The tone. The disparagement.’

VodafoneZiggo was one of the first companies to formulate a policy for hybrid working. The organization strongly believes in working sometimes from home and sometimes from the office, says CHRO Thomas Mulder. This applies to employees and executives alike. ‘It is not about individual interests but about the team’s interest when it comes to hybrid working.’

‘Safety is a top priority in the port,’ says Boudewijn Siemons, COO and interim CEO of the Port of Rotterdam since last summer. He corrects himself immediately, ‘No, that is not true. It is not a priority; it is the foundation.’ If not everyone comes home safely—physically or mentally—we experience it as failure.

How can board members enhance psychological safety within their organization and address toxic behavior? Following the painful scandals at the Dutch public broadcaster, this has proven to be a complex issue for the NPO (Nederlandse Publieke Omroep) chair Frederieke Leeflang. ‘I encountered a lot of resistance’, she shared during the first edition of the Management Scope Dinner & Debate on the theme of psychological safety, in collaboration with LTP Business Psychologists.

Transgressive behavior, a soured or toxic work atmosphere and psychological unsafety: it is not only the Hilversum media world which has to deal with it. In diverse organizations, board members in particular form a serious ‘risk group,’ write Marian de Joode and Ageeth Telleman.

A substantial change is taking place in the relationship between people and organizations. Employees are demanding that their organizations take into account what they consider important: from better working conditions to psychological and social safety and diversity and inclusion. This human revolution has empowered employees. More and more organizations are making use of their insights and ideas. Personal leadership of employees is becoming more important. Psychological consulting firm LTP has developed a roadmap that shows how opportunities are optimized and pitfalls avoided.

Leaders are facing two huge challenges. First, they must guide unprecedented changes to successful conclusions. At the same time, they have to foster connections with others and remain composed, despite our world’s current lack of predictability. Leaders operating under pressure more easily make mistakes with decisions and behavior. That means they could use some help.