Celebrating Intelligent Failures and Taking Responsibility, with Psychological Safety author Amy Edmondson

Nov 22 2023 • 28 mins

Creating a culture of psychological safety is crucial for organisations. By fostering an environment where people feel safe to speak up, share their ideas, and take intelligent risks, companies can promote learning, innovation, and growth. Celebrating failures – especially intelligent failures that result from thoughtful exploration – can encourage individuals to take risks and contribute to the collective knowledge of the organisation.

Amy Edmondson is largely credited as the founder of the Psychological Safety movement. She’s written five books, and her work focuses on the importance of psychological safety in organisations and how it contributes to innovation, learning, and success. She’s conducted extensive research on creating environments where individuals feel safe to speak up, share ideas, and take risks.

In this episode, Amy shares examples of organisations that have successfully created psychological safety, the concept of intelligent failures, the challenges of creating psychological safety in remote work environments and the importance of active listening and inviting participation.

Amy’s tips for a happy workplace

Create a culture where people feel safe to contribute their knowledge, questions, expertise, and concerns.
Monitor your response and show genuine interest and appreciation for what others are saying.
Use tools and technology to facilitate communication and collaboration.
Encourage taking risks and trying new things, celebrating intelligent failures that result from thoughtful exploration.