100. Professor Amy C. Edmondson - Psychological safety: how boards have the best conversations to make the best decisions
Dec 17, 2024
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Amy C. Edmondson, a celebrated Professor at Harvard Business School and top management thinker, dives into the concept of psychological safety in boardrooms. She shares why it's crucial for fostering open conversations and effective decision-making. The discussion highlights strategies for assessing and improving psychological safety, addressing challenges posed by remote work, and navigating organizational failures. Amy also offers insights on challenging leadership dynamics and the importance of candid dialogue to drive innovation and growth.
Psychological safety enables board members to share diverse perspectives freely, fostering better strategic choices and enhancing governance effectiveness.
Evaluating conversation quality through active participation and genuine listening helps identify and improve psychological safety within organizations.
Deep dives
The Concept of Psychological Safety
Psychological safety refers to an environment where individuals feel free to express their thoughts, admit mistakes, and ask questions without fear of judgement. This climate fosters open communication and enhances the quality of conversations, crucial for making informed decisions in a boardroom. Boards that prioritize psychological safety can make better strategic choices as members feel empowered to share diverse perspectives and challenge assumptions. Ultimately, a psychologically safe environment supports innovation and effective governance within organizations.
Assessing Psychological Safety in Organizational Conversations
Board members can evaluate the quality of their conversations to gauge psychological safety within their organization. Key attributes include whether members are actively contributing or genuinely listening, maintaining a balance between advocating and inquiring, and feeling a sense of progression towards meaningful outcomes. Regularly assessing these dimensions can help identify areas where psychological safety may be lacking, revealing any hesitance to share ideas or ask questions. Institutions that recognize low scores in these areas can take steps to improve their conversational climate, leading to higher engagement and better decision-making.
Impact of Organizational Changes on Psychological Safety
Significant organizational events such as redundancies can severely impact psychological safety, leading individuals to hold back their ideas and concerns. Leadership plays a crucial role in managing these transitions by providing clarity and compassion throughout the process to help teams navigate changes effectively. Clearly communicating the reasons behind difficult decisions can mitigate feelings of fear and encourage employees to maintain open communication. This reinforces the notion that a supportive environment is essential for fostering resilience and innovation during challenging times.
Approaches to Foster Constructive Discussions
To enhance conversation quality, board members should focus on asking better questions and inviting constructive feedback. Techniques such as pre-mortem analysis encourage members to explore potential pitfalls in decision-making, allowing for a proactive rather than reactive discussion environment. Cultivating humility and recognizing that all members bring unique perspectives to the table can significantly improve dialogue during board meetings. By remaining curious and open-minded, board members can create a culture where dissenting views are valued, ultimately leading to stronger governance.
Amy C. Edmondson is a Professor of Leadership & Management at Harvard Business School. Ranked #1 management thinker in the world by Thinkers50, Amy has written seven books, including Right Kind of Wrong and the fearless organization. Tune in to hear her thoughts on: What is psychological safety and why does it matter for board members? (1:44) Can we overcome our fear of what others think of us, even if we’re aware of it? (4:02) Isn’t psychological safety just a grandiose term for inclusion? (5:12) As board members, what should we be looking at to assess our organisation’s psychological safety? (7:24) Are there predictable events that trigger drops in psychological safety? (10:16) How can organisations mitigate the impact of remote work on psychological safety? (13:10) How can boards increase the quality of their conversations through psychological safety? (14:14) Can you talk about “setting the stage” and specific tactics boards can use to have more candid conversations? (17:02) How do you sanction violations whilst maintaining psychological safety? (19:27) How would you advise board members to challenge execs in meetings? (24:46) How can boards decide if their CEO is a difficult genius to stick with or someone they should let go? (26:11) Where do we go wrong when thinking about failure? (28:51) When is it right to proceed via first principles versus A|B testing? (34:50) Could the boards at VW, Wells Fargo and Nokia have prevented their respective failures? (36:08) ⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(40:01)