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  • 14 Apr 2019
  • Interview

How to Build Psychological Safety, with Amy Edmondson

By: Amy C. Edmondson and Dave Stachowiak
  • Format:Audio
  • | Language:English
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Abstract

Amy Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School. She has been recognized by the Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers for many years and was honored with their Talent Award in 2017. Amy is the author of several, highly regarded books on teaming and psychological safety, including her newest book, The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation and Growth.

Key Points:
Psychological safety varies a lot even inside of an organization.
More effective teams may appear to make more mistakes, but it’s likely those teams are just more comfortable reporting mistakes.
Instead of calling it an error, call it an accident. And rather than calling it an investigation, call it a study.
It’s fine to say, “I don’t know” when appropriate because it signals to others that it is okay to admit when they don’t know something.
If somebody shares a problem, say thank you and then ask how you can help.
Leaders should be concerned if they’re not hearing bad news.

Keywords

Psychological Safety; Organizational Culture; Groups and Teams; Performance Effectiveness

Citation

"How to Build Psychological Safety, with Amy Edmondson." Episode 404. Coaching for Leaders (podcast), April 14, 2019.
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About The Author

Amy C. Edmondson

Technology and Operations Management
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • May 2025
    • Faculty Research

    Responsive Working at PepsiCo UK (B)

    By: Amy C. Edmondson and Nancy Boghossian Staples
    • May 2025
    • Faculty Research

    Responsive Working at PepsiCo UK (C)

    By: Amy C. Edmondson and Nancy Boghossian Staples
    • May–June 2025
    • Harvard Business Review

    What People Get Wrong About Psychological Safety

    By: Amy C. Edmondson and Michaela J. Kerrissey
More from the Authors
  • Responsive Working at PepsiCo UK (B) By: Amy C. Edmondson and Nancy Boghossian Staples
  • Responsive Working at PepsiCo UK (C) By: Amy C. Edmondson and Nancy Boghossian Staples
  • What People Get Wrong About Psychological Safety By: Amy C. Edmondson and Michaela J. Kerrissey
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