175. Psychological Safety in Today's Workplace with Dr. Amy Edmondson (Part 1)
Mar 2, 2023
37:11
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Discussing the evolution of psychological safety in the workplace with Dr. Amy Edmondson. Explore the impact of silence on team dynamics and decision-making processes. Learn about the power of speaking up and fostering psychological safety for innovation and high-quality work outcomes.
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Quick takeaways
Psychological safety in the workplace involves creating an environment that promotes open communication without fear of repercussions, enabling innovation and problem-solving.
Dr. Amy Edmondson's research emphasizes the importance of effective teamwork and communication in driving organizational learning and adaptability.
Deep dives
Defining Psychological Safety and Permission for Candor
Psychological safety is about creating an environment where people feel free to express themselves without fear of negative consequences. Dr. Amy Edmondson, a Harvard professor, explains that the concept includes having permission for candor, allowing individuals to speak openly. She contrasts this with societal conditioning that encourages people to hold back and conform, hindering genuine communication. In work settings, this hesitation to be candid can impede innovation and problem-solving, emphasizing the importance of fostering an atmosphere that encourages open dialogue and diverse perspectives.
Interest in Organizational Learning and Team Dynamics
Amy Edmondson's research journey was sparked by an interest in organizational learning. She realized that while individual intelligence was essential, true learning and growth happened at the team level. By focusing on teams as the primary units of learning within organizations, she highlighted the significance of effective teamwork and communication in driving innovation and success. Edmondson's focus on team dynamics underscored the pivotal role teams play in organizational learning and adaptability.
Barriers to Psychological Safety: Advocacy Over Inquiry
One critical barrier to psychological safety highlighted in the discussion is the imbalance between advocacy and inquiry in conversations. When individuals focus more on making statements rather than asking questions or exploring ideas, genuine learning and collaboration are hindered. This imbalance often stems from hierarchical dynamics, where individuals, especially those in positions of power, dominate conversations, reducing opportunities for diverse perspectives and active participation.
The Impact of Silence and Inaction on Psychological Safety
Silence, particularly among subject matter experts who withhold valuable insights, can be detrimental to psychological safety and organizational learning. The reluctance to speak up, even when individuals possess critical knowledge or concerns, can lead to missed opportunities, poor decision-making, and a sense of personal disengagement. Addressing this silence and encouraging open dialogue is crucial to unlocking the full potential of teams and fostering a culture of psychological safety.
Do you feel psychologically safer at work now than you did several years ago? It's an interesting question, and today I've invited perhaps the preeminent expert in the world on the subject of psychological safety to discuss that and other things with us. This is Dr. Amy Edmondson, a professor at Harvard, and the person most responsible for making the term psychological safety ubiquitous in the world after she published a paper more than 20 years ago focused on this subject. I knew it was going to be a good conversation because Amy is as capable as they come, and the subject is so timely. But even with that, the conversation went further and deeper, more real, more raw than I expected it would. By the end of this episode, you will have new insight as to what psychological safety actually is and what it isn't, and where the threats are coming from to that psychological safety in today's workplace.