Cultivating a Culture of Candor: Transforming Workplace Communication for Better Outcomes

The blog post

Does it Feel Better to Be Vulnerable or Candid in a Workplace?

I've learned so much from Timothy R. Clark of the firm LeaderFactor, author of the excellent book, The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety. I can't recommend his work enough--including his free podcasts, webinars, and more. I was fortunate to go through a formal certification course with him on Psychological Safety.

He was a guest on my podcast, "My Favorite Mistake." He was kind enough to write a blurb about my book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation.

Clark defines "Psychological Safety" using language that's similar to Harvard Prof. Amy Edmondson's definition. To synthesize them, Psychological Safety means a person:

Feels or believes it is safe to speak "without fear of being embarrassed, marginalized, or punished in some way" in a given situation.

The part in quotes is from Clark's definition. Edmondson says it's a belief that "one will not be punished or humiliated" for speaking up about things like "ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes."