Making Room for Vulnerability at Work

Vulnerability can have a negative connotation, especially when it comes to sharing in the workplace. When our colleagues over-share the details of their personal lives, cry during meetings, or say inappropriate things, those moments can be awkward for all involved! Nonetheless, there should be a place for vulnerability at work. It’s a key aspect of building relationships; and the more effective we are at doing that, the better our work experiences can be. To allow for that to happen, however, embracing vulnerability has to be part of a company’s culture.

Oftentimes, I find that people are afraid of oversharing or not saying enough when they’re trying to connect with others at work. As an executive coach, a sentiment I hear frequently is, “When I’m at work, figuring out who I can be vulnerable with is a challenge for me.”

If you’re a manager or executive leader responsible for creating room for vulnerability at work, consider the following three elements of Safety, Trust, and Care.

Safety, trust and care create room for vulnerability

1. Safety

There are two main types of safety that are interchangeable:

1. Emotional Safety: well-being and feeling good or comfortable in the workplace
2. Psychological Safety: feeling mentally safe to speak up, address concerns, and have hard conversations at work without fear of retaliation or judgement

Stronger, more innovative communities are created when psychological safety is present at work, according to consulting firm, McKinsey & Company. As a leader, you can be more mindful about creating psychological safety at work by asking yourself the following two questions:

1. Have I made it so that my team knows they can talk to me and feel comfortable doing so?
2. Do we have an emotionally or psychologically safe work environment? If yes, what is the evidence?

2. Trust

Conceptually, this is simple. Trust is essential for people to feel comfortable sharing at work. On a basic level, can they trust that their feedback, insights, or moments of vulnerability will be welcomed and not used against them?

Great Place to Work conducted research that found that credibility, respect, and fairness are the three foundations a culture of trust is built upon. To be a great leader means striving to incorporate these components into how you lead and the company culture overall, over time.

3. Care

A supportive culture is one where leaders care about and value the humanity of their people. This includes providing opportunities for interpersonal interaction and engagement during time spent together, such as during one-on-one meetings, team-building exercises or events, and the like. Consider the following three questions when assessing care at work:

1. Have I shown my team that I care about them as individuals and not just about the work they produce?
2. Can I name something non-work related about each member of my team?
3. What do my team members know about each other outside of work?

The importance of team socialization

69.5% of employees would be happier if they had deeper connections with work colleagues, according to survey results in Nectar’s The State of Workplace Connection in 2024: How Sociable is Your Team? report. With employees spending an average of 81,396 hours at work over a lifetime, being in an environment where they feel comfortable being vulnerable helps to support the human connections that will undoubtedly form.

Safety, Trust, and Care are the three elements needed to create an environment where people feel comfortable being vulnerable at work. Without vulnerability, folks are less likely to participate in touchy conversations, admit when they’re struggling with their workload, share a different viewpoint, or provide feedback to a direct report. Vulnerability may feel uncomfortable, but it’s your responsibility as a leader to nurture your team to share openly.

—

For more information about understanding people and their personalities at work, click here.