What Impact Does Relational Secrecy Have On Team Cohesion And Psychological Safety?
Teamwork is essential for most companies since it allows people to share their thoughts and perspectives freely.
Relational secrecy can affect this process negatively, resulting in poor communication and reduced performance. This article will look into how relational secrecy influences team cohesion and psychological safety.
Relational secrecy occurs when members of a team do not reveal crucial information about themselves that may affect others' perceptions and behaviors toward them.
If a member of a group keeps his/her homosexual orientation secret, he/she might fear being judged or ridiculed, leading to reduced interaction with colleagues. According to research studies, there are both positive and negative effects of relational secrecy in teams. In some cases, individuals hide certain aspects of themselves because they don't want to be perceived as different from other members, but such actions may create feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Negative Effects of Relational Secrecy
When one person has something to hide within a team, other members may feel uncomfortable. They may start questioning why someone would keep such details hidden or what else is happening behind closed doors. Such scenarios reduce trust levels among team members and make it difficult to build relationships based on openness and honesty. It also creates an environment where people feel unsafe sharing ideas since they fear judgment and retaliation. Therefore, keeping secrets may result in low productivity due to lack of collaboration and innovation.
Positive Effects of Relational Secrecy
In some instances, relational secrecy may have positive outcomes for teams. Some team members might keep their sexuality or religious beliefs private so as not to alienate others with opposing views. This can lead to respectful interactions despite differences, which boosts cohesion and psychological safety.
When team members share only relevant data with each other, the risk of revealing sensitive information that could harm the organization decreases.
Relational secrecy may influence team cohesion and psychological safety negatively by making team members feel isolated and unsure about how to interact with their peers.
This phenomenon has both negative and positive consequences depending on specific situations and contexts. Therefore, it is crucial to balance disclosures and non-disclosures to maintain healthy workplace dynamics.
What impact does relational secrecy have on team cohesion and psychological safety?
Relational secrecy can negatively affect team cohesion by creating unequal power dynamics among members, leading to feelings of mistrust and suspicion between them. The lack of transparency also hinders effective communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution within the group. In contrast, psychological safety is undermined when individuals feel that their personal information may be used against them or judged by others, which inhibits openness and vulnerability.