By focusing on psychological safety, we can create an environment where it’s safe for everyone to speak their truth, but also safe for us to walk away from the table still connected, even if we don’t agree. We might not change minds, but we can change the tone of the conversation and make the whole experience a little more tolerable, if not enjoyable.
And this brings me to one of the most influential voices in the conversation about psychological safety—Dr. Amy Edmondson. Some of you may know her groundbreaking work on psychological safety in organizations. Her book, The Fearless Organization, is one I reference with C-suite teams regularly. Recently, she released a new book titled The Right Kind of Wrong, which delves into the complexities of failure and learning from mistakes. It’s a powerful reminder that in order to grow, both personally and professionally, we need to feel safe to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them without fear of being harshly judged or penalized by others, or by ourselves.