Safe Spaces vs. Brave Spaces

Because of the work I do in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, it is very common for me to hear clients mention the importance of creating safe spaces. Leaders and industries are now recognizing that certain groups of people show up to work daily without being able to meet that basic human need of safety. Many of these employers are doing their best to correct that and have been focused on creating, nurturing and learning more about offering a safe space at work. 

While this is a wonderful and much needed first step, safety in equity and inclusion work can only carry us so far. When it is real change we want to see, we must move beyond safety and that next level is bravery. Safe spaces and brave spaces are NOT the same thing. The intentions behind each are different, the purpose of each is different and the outcomes you will get from each will be quite different. 

What is a Safe Space? 

A safe space is designed not to offend, hurt or repel anyone from the space. Everyone, who is welcomed into that space, should feel as though they belong and remain comfortable mentally and emotionally. Members of this space want to know their guard can be down and they won’t be attacked without warning (or really, at all). Safe spaces are protective of the people within them. Members of safe spaces should not be harmed. Risks are not taken in space spaces and in fact if you are considering doing or saying something risky, it could be discouraged. What is encouraged, in DEI Safe Spaces, is AFFIRMING the identities of anyone present. 

What is a Brave Space? 

Unlike a safe space, brave spaces are designed to handle risk and discomfort. The people within them are prepared to exist in discomfort and navigate it together. There may be a moment when someone feels offended or hurt by something that someone says or does in a brave space. In these cases, both parties are committed to remaining in the discomfort and using healthy methods of navigating through it together. Brave spaces require courage and may not always yield the desired outcome immediately, so there is risk involved. A brave space is one that is created to push DEI work FORWARD. 

If we think the path forward is full of safety, we hold unrealistic expectations of what this work actually looks like in practice. 

When do Safe Spaces work?

Safe Spaces are vital to support people who have felt harmed, targetted or unheard. Affinity Groups are a popular way to provide an intentional and potentially very effective safe space. It is important to provide a “covering” for those who feel they have been left out in the cold within your organization. 

Company leaders can use safe spaces effectively when they become aware of inequities within their organizations. When done well, Affinity Groups can be an effective processing space to help staff develop the emotional tools necessary to both protect themselves and develop the ability to self-advocate in a way that produces results. When Affinity Groups are not done well, they basically become a breeding ground for negativity. If organizations aren’t careful, they can produce more victims than heroes. 

I support the creation of an impactful Affinity Group when: 

• It’s purpose and/or mission are clear
• It has an equipped and competent leader/facilitator
• Someone who can manage their own triggers
• Someone who is skilled to manage others’ emotions
• Someone who can facilitate healthy conversations
• Someone skilled in emotional intelligence
• It keeps members accountable to the purpose and/or mission
• It measures its effectiveness (pre & post surveys)

When considering creating an Affinity Group, I encourage organizations to deeply consider having it led by a Licensed Therapist or Certified Coach to ensure the above skillsets are met. 

When are Brave Spaces useful? 

Bravery is REQUIRED anyplace where Equity, Inclusion and Anti-”fill-in-the-blank” is a priority. Anti-”fill-in-the-blank” is anti-racism, anti-sexism, anti-homophobism, anti-anything. In order to be brave, we must be courageous and courage is a requirement for doing hard or scary things. Making changes is risky and can feel scary. Change agents are brave. People who challenge boards, leaders, traditional thinking, capitalistic mindsets, old policies, approaches and systems must have the courage to do so and see those changes through. Otherwise, everything stays the same. When things remain the same, are we living out our desire for equity? For inclusion? For anti-anything? 

That said, Brave Spaces don’t just exist where you declare them. Brave spaces can only be navigated by skilled facilitators, coaches, consultants and change agents. These folks need to be highly self-aware and self-regulated to lead others into brave spaces responsibly. They must know what to do when discomfort, anger, disappointment, misunderstanding or shutdown enters the space. Bravery means we stay in this, especially when it is hard, because we are committed to change. Bravery means the goal is not to make everyone feel good. The goal is to challenge everyone to move through their comfort zones and into a different future, together. 

In Brave Spaces, we may lose some along the way and that needs to be, not only expected, but appreciated. When you make changes, not everyone will stick around. That is true for almost anything. That “shedding” of people should be understood as a natural part of the process and oftentimes is evidence of progress. 

So… What are you creating? 

Safe Spaces? Brave Spaces? Or is there space for both where you work? How are you defining them? How well are you explaining each space? Do people know when they are in which space and do they have a choice? These are just some things to think about however, you must decide.

“Safety cannot exist where bravery is required. Bravery isn’t necessary when safety is present.” -Lana Hailemariam

Neither can be achieved without an intense focus on the emotional intelligence of your organization and those individuals who comprise it. If you are pursuing this work without a heavy focus on individuals’ emotional intelligence, then you are doing yourself a great disservice. People who know themselves and can control themselves, push the work forward without causing as much collateral damage and harm as those who do not possess these skills. 

Who are you, organizationally? What do you stand for? What is your priority? Decide and then choose your spaces strategically to support who you say you are. But please, whatever you do, don’t just throw out words like “safe space” and “brave space” without being thoughtful and intentional. 

Lana Hailemariam is a multiply Certified Leadership Coach to companies, senior leaders, and entrepreneurs as well as a Certified Professional Development Trainer, Facilitator, and Inspirational Speaker. She is a thought leader in these areas: Emotional Intelligence, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Leadership.