Bookworm: The Fearless Organization

Amy C Edmondson writes about creating psychological safety in the workplace for learning, innovation, and growth.

What’s it all about?

In this book, Amy C Edmondson, professor of leadership at Harvard Businesss School, explores the notion of psychological safety.

All too often, says Edmondson, employees are scared of pitching ideas or reporting concerns because they are worried about looking stupid or losing their job. This damages everyone. People should be fearless, she argues.

How does this help business?

Research proves that when businesses discuss things openly, and acknowledge mistakes, they perform better. What a sense of psychological safety does is help one person’s suggestion become one of two things: a successful idea or an opportunity to discuss ways to improve.

If someone at work feels psychologically unsafe, they will hesitate to discuss their ideas or experiences with colleagues  and a learning opportunity is lost. Good managers understand that their employees are there not to be compared to one another but to learn from one another.

How can a lack of psychological safety cause harm?

Think Nokia. Once dominant in the mobile phone game, the downfall of the Finnish company was arguably brought about by its employees feeling unable to talk openly about the fact that it was falling behind companies such as Google and Apple.

In a psychologically safe environment, colleagues would share concerns so that they could act on them; in a environment that lacks psychological safety, everyone is more afraid of being dismissed or mocked than they are of the competition their company faces.

What happens when leaders enable disclosure?

Edmondson uses the example of Cynthia Carroll, the former CEO of mining company Anglo American,. When trying to reduce the number of mining fatalities as much as possible, Carroll met thousands of miners, rather than just issuing an edict from on high.

This isn’t just heartening in theory; it works in practice. Carroll successfully reduced mining deaths by 62% in five years. It would be surprising if it didn’t make employees feel more connected to Anglo American’s leadership, and more psychologically safe as a result.

I suppose people are leaders because they have the answers.

No, not necessarily. Another characteristic of a psychologically safe workplace is that it’s one led by people who aren’t afraid to admit that they don’t have the answers. After such an admission, there might be an awkward silence. But a good boss will elicit information and answers from their expert employees by asking open questions, encouraging participation, and ideally implementing formal structures in which information can be shared.

How does this affect dynamics in the longer term?

If a leader becomes known for responding to concerns and reservations, then people will be more likely to approach them with concerns and reservations. Every encounter helps to create what Edmondson calls a ‘fearless organization’.

What am I most likely to say after reading this book?

 “I’d like to admit to a mistake.”

What am I least likely to say after reading this book?

“Don’t bring me bad news.”