Creating a Fearless Organization

Fearless organizations provide psychological safety, a culture where employees feel they can take interpersonal risks and express relevant ideas, questions, and concerns. (Click to Tweet!) In this kind of climate, co-workers trust and respect each other and feel empowered, perhaps even obligated, to be candid.

Yet, according to a 2017 Gallup poll, only three in 10 employees strongly agree with the statement that their opinions count at work. And Gallup calculated that by “moving the ratio to six in 10 employees, organizations could realize a 27% reduction in turnover, a 40% reduction in safety incidents, and a 12% increase in productivity.” 

According to Amy C. Edmondson, Harvard Business School professor and author of The Fearless Organization, organizations can take several steps to increase psychological safety:

1. Set the Stage: Set common goals and a shared appreciation for what the organization is up against.
2. Invite Participation: Create forums for input and provide guidelines for discussion. Ask good questions and listen intently.
3. Respond Productively: Express appreciation, destigmatize failure, promote continuous learning, and offer help when needed.

As Edmondson acknowledges, all these practices “require complex interpersonal skills and thus are not easy to master. They take time, effort, and practice.” Perhaps the most important aspect of learning them, she says, is for leaders to practice self-reflection.

Do you feel it’s safe to express yourself in your organization? If so, how does leadership communicate this? If not, what should change? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.

If you would like to learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our online learning programs. 

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