Panel:

Employee engagement is crucial for the success of any organization, and it is closely linked to trust and psychological safety in the workplace. Trust between employees and management fosters a positive work environment where employees feel valued and supported, leading to increased job satisfaction and productivity. Similarly, psychological safety encourages employees to speak up, take risks, and contribute their ideas without fear of negative consequences.

Thank you to our remarkable guests…

• Matt Diabes is a PhD Candidate (graduation: May 2023) in Organizational Behavior and Theory at Carnegie Mellon University. He is the Chief Science and Innovation Officer for Lattitude.
• Alessandro Iorio is a an assistant professor in the Department of Management and Technology at Bocconi University. He earned a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Theory at the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University.
• Dr. Kori Krueger is currently a postdoctoral fellow in Organizational Behavior and Theory at Carnegie Mellon University at the Tepper School of Business. She received her PhD in Social Psychology.
• Sae-Seul Park is a PhD Candidate at Carnegie Mellon University (graduation: May 2023) and an incoming tenure-track Assistant Professor of Strategic Management at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management (starting July 2023).
• Pete Schramm is the Founder and CEO of Lattitude and loves bringing people together! Schramm, is an entrepreneur, engineer, TEDx speaker, and author.

Discussion Topics

• This video focuses on understanding trust and psychological safety in organizations. The speakers emphasize the need for empirical research that can be applied in practical settings to ensure that organizations function more effectively
• They discuss the impact of social connections within a workplace and the importance of brokers in an organization
• The level of a person’s psychological and social health, or well-being, can predict how much they trust their collaborators, which can impact behaviors like the degree to which they share work or knowledge with others.
• The importance of trust and psychological safety within organizations is highlighted, and practical measures to ensure it are discussed, such as training leadership on how to give feedback, engage with employees, build teams, and work through conflict.

Key Highlights

This video discusses the importance of mentorship and how it can be beneficial to both the mentor and mentee. It also discusses how companies can improve their mentorship programs by embracing it and making it available to all levels of employees.

• 00:00:00 In this section, two individuals talk about their experiences in the real world and how it has led them to pursue research on organizational effectiveness. One individual talks about how the organization’s design can affect the use of resources, while the other individual discusses her interest in studying relationships and the impacts they have on different aspects of one’s life. They both emphasize the need for empirical research that can be applied in practical settings to ensure that organizations function more effectively.
• 00:05:00 In this section, the speakers talk about conducting research and the different types of research that can be done, including surveying people about their experiences or bringing people into the lab to complete specific tasks in order to assess outcomes and create training that can be beneficial. The speaker who conducted the research then goes on to talk about their Ph.D. research on networks and the two dimensions of formal and informal structure in firms. A powerful concept from his research is that of brokers, and how they are good at connecting people who are otherwise disconnected, but can sometimes be perceived as untrustworthy. The goal is to be a broker in the actual structure without being perceived as one, i.e., a broker in disguise.
• 00:10:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the impact of social connections within a workplace and how being too central in the informal network can backfire on an employee. While being central can provide a sense of belonging and lead to longer tenure with a company, it can also become overwhelming and add stress to the employee. The speaker suggests that companies should develop social support systems for key employees to prevent burnout. The importance of brokers in an organization is also mentioned, and while being a broker is not always bad, the speaker recommends taking a pro-social role to foster connections between colleagues and help the firm as a whole.
• 00:15:00 In this section, Matt talks about how he became interested in organizational phenomena and his current research on the influence of a person’s psychological and social health on their behaviors, attitudes, and collaboration in the workplace. He shares a story from his corporate experience where people were dissatisfied with their job but felt trapped because of their high pay and a feeling of duty to their family, which sparked his interest in understanding the impact of such situations on employees’ well-being. He discusses his PhD program at Tepper, which led him to his current research.
• 00:20:00 In this section, the transcript discusses how individual and organizational research tends to focus on things like job satisfaction when considering employee well-being, but there is a whole body of research in psychology and psychiatry that shows the importance of social and psychological health on collaboration in organizations. The level of a person’s psychological and social health, or well-being, can predict how much they trust their collaborators, which can impact behaviors like the degree to which
• 00:25:00 In this section, the experts discuss the importance of trust and psychological safety within organizations, and how processes that are transparent and honest can help build trust. They also highlight the need for constructive feedback in order to allow employees to grow, improve their performance, and ultimately trust their organization and leadership. While psychological safety exists only at the team level, it is crucial for interpersonal risk-taking, sharing of ideas and innovation in the workplace. The speakers also suggest ways organizations can shape their networks, through interventions such as encouraging curiosity or incentivizing knowledge-sharing, in order to boost performance and ultimately identify causal associations between variables.
• 00:30:00 In this section, the speakers discuss psychological safety and trust within organizations. They mention that psychological safety is not only a team-level construct but also an individual-level construct, and that organizational climate can determine whether individuals feel safe to use knowledge. While incentives can affect the way people share knowledge, there needs to be a balance between enhancing performance and ensuring that individuals feel safe enough to explore and innovate. The speakers also highlight the importance of asking employees specific questions about their experiences in order to better understand how they feel and what interventions may be necessary.
• 00:35:00 In this section, the importance of psychological safety in organizations is highlighted, and practical measures to ensure it are discussed. The speakers define psychological safety as employees feeling comfortable expressing their opinions, concerns or criticisms without fear of punishment or retaliation, as well as not being humiliated, ostracized or rejected for doing so. They argue that a psychologically safe workplace is more productive, leads to better health and retention rates, and fosters loyalty to the organization. Best practices such as training leadership on how to give feedback, engage with employees, build teams, and work through conflict, are also suggested as ways to build and maintain psychological safety.

We want to get to know you and we want to help you get to know your employees.

Speaker Bios:

Matt Diabes is a PhD Candidate (graduation: May 2023) in Organizational Behavior and Theory at Carnegie Mellon University. He is the Chief Science and Innovation Officer for Lattitude. He has been conducting research in the areas of well-being, collaboration, teamwork, negotiations, and conflict management for over 10 years, and his research is published in well-known academic and practitioner outlets. In addition, he has taught courses in organizational behavior and negotiations and conflict resolution to future leaders at Carnegie Mellon University.

Sae-Seul Park is a PhD Candidate at Carnegie Mellon University (graduation: May 2023) and an incoming tenure-track Assistant Professor of Strategic Management at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management (starting July 2023). Her research interests lie primarily in strategic human capital, knowledge management, and digital information systems, with an emphasis on understanding how the interplay of pecuniary and social incentives shapes firm processes that underlie performance outcomes. Her work has been published in top academic journals and recognized with awards by scholarly societies.

Alessandro Iorio is a an assistant professor in the Department of Management and Technology at Bocconi University. He earned a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Theory at the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University, where he was awarded the Herbert A. Simon Doctoral Dissertation Award in Behavioral Research in the Administrative Sciences. His research uses a multimethod approach to understand how social networks create competitive advantage for individuals and organizations. He is also interested in investigating the origins and evolution of social network structures, with special emphasis on the link between formal organizational arrangements and informal social relationships. His research has been published in such outlets as Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.

Dr. Kori Krueger is currently a postdoctoral fellow in Organizational Behavior and Theory at Carnegie Mellon University at the Tepper School of Business. She received her PhD in Social Psychology. In her research, she strives to understand how people manage difficult conversations and how the ways in which they navigate these conversations affect their goal achievement, decision-making, and relational outcomes. Specifically, she examines situations in which people deliver and receive negative feedback in the workplace, experience team conflict and conflict within close relationships, and engage in conversations in which one person expresses negative emotions (e.g., frustration, sadness, or anxiety). Dr. Kori Krueger has experience designing interventions to improve interpersonal communication and foster intrapersonal and interpersonal growth.

Pete Schramm is the Founder and CEO of Lattitude and loves bringing people together! Schramm, an entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and author, is passionate about connecting people and guiding diverse teams to tackle complex challenges. Growing up on a family farm near Pittsburgh, Pete honed his work ethic and discovered his love for fostering connections. After completing his mechanical engineering degrees at Catholic University, he embarked on a successful career at Lockheed Martin, where he championed mentorship and collaboration.

In 2018, Pete transitioned to MTEQ (now QinetiQ), leading a team of 100+ engineers and scientists, and placing people over process to achieve new heights of productivity. In 2020, Pete founded Lattitude, an employee connection platform that promotes engagement through meaningful conversations. Lattitude has helped organizations like the Army, Air Force, and Rotary to attract, engage, and retain top talent through structured programs.

A certified Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt, Agile HR Practitioner, Scrum Master, and Project Management Professional (PMP), Pete remains active and enjoys traveling and learning. Recognized as a 30 Under 30 awardee, he is an active member of the Pittsburgh Rotary Club, PHRA, and the Sewickley Academy Board of Trustees. Pete’s purpose is to inspire potential and ignite the fire within others, making life amazing for all involved.

What’s Lattitude?

Lattitude’s mission is to use next-generation software and AI to help individuals and organizations reach their full potential through meaningful connections, mentorship, and development. Our software system is designed to measure, facilitate, and improve employee engagement with a straightforward user experience. We focus on developing both personal and professional relationships, engaging happy employees, increased retention and job satisfaction. Strengthening belonging from day one.

Set up an employee engagement consultation here to see if your organization is ready to crawl, walk, or run.

———–

When we asked ChatGPT to develop 10 actionable takeaways on this topic…

1. Foster open communication: Encourage employees to share their ideas, concerns, and feedback without fear of retribution. This helps create a transparent and collaborative work environment.
2. Provide regular feedback: Offer constructive feedback, both positive and negative, to help employees understand their performance and areas for improvement. This demonstrates that their efforts are valued and recognized.
3. Encourage collaboration: Promote teamwork and create opportunities for cross-functional projects that allow employees to collaborate, share knowledge, and develop trust among colleagues.
4. Develop inclusive leadership: Train managers on inclusive leadership practices that emphasize empathy, active listening, and emotional intelligence to create an environment where employees feel safe and supported.
5. Prioritize mental health and well-being: Implement initiatives to support employees’ mental health, such as flexible work arrangements, access to counseling services, and stress management resources.
6. Recognize and reward achievements: Celebrate individual and team accomplishments to reinforce positive behavior and enhance motivation, contributing to a strong sense of belonging.
7. Offer opportunities for growth: Encourage employees to expand their skill sets and advance their careers through training, mentorship programs, and development opportunities, demonstrating the organization’s investment in their success.
8. Establish clear expectations: Set and communicate clear performance expectations and goals for each employee, enabling them to understand their role and how it contributes to the organization’s success.
9. Emphasize accountability and fairness: Hold all employees, including management, accountable for their actions and decisions, fostering trust and ensuring that everyone is treated fairly and equally.
10. Monitor and measure engagement: Regularly assess employee engagement levels through surveys, feedback sessions, and other tools to identify areas for improvement and track the effectiveness of engagement initiatives.