The Fearless Organization

by Amy Edmondson

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About the book

Conquer the most critical knowledge economy adaptability.

The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth provides practical advice for teams and organizations committed to modern-day success. With so much riding on innovation, creativity, and spark, it's critical to attract and retain top talent. However, what good is brilliance if no one can express it? In the information economy, the conventional culture of "fitting in" and "going along" spells doom. Success necessitates a constant flow of fresh ideas, challenges, and critical thinking, and the interpersonal atmosphere must not stifle, mute, ridicule, or frighten this flow. Yes, there are foolish questions, and yes, disagreement can slow things down, but working through these issues is an important part of the creative process.

People must be able to express half-finished thoughts, ask out-of-the-box questions, and brainstorm aloud; this fosters a culture in which a minor blunder or lapse is not viewed as a major flaw, where actual errors are acknowledged and corrected, and where the next out-of-the-box idea could become the next big thing.

This book delves into the concept of psychological safety and offers a roadmap for implementing it. The road isn't always smooth, but brief and insightful scenario-based explanations show how to keep learning and innovate in a healthy way.

Investigate the relationship between psychological well-being and excellent performance.
Make it "safe" to communicate ideas, ask questions, and admit mistakes in the workplace.
In today's knowledge economy, cultivate the level of participation and candor demanded.
Establish psychological safety in your team or organization by following a step-by-step structure.
Step away from the "yes-men" approach and into true performance.
Encourage creativity, set clear goals, establish responsibility, rethink leadership, and more.

The Fearless Organization can assist you in making this essential change.

About the Author

Amy C. Edmondson is a leadership, teaming, and organizational learning expert from the United States. At Harvard Business School, she is the Novartis Professor of Leadership. Edmondson has written seven books as well as over 75 articles and case studies.

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