Working Without Fear

Organisations that invest in psychological safety extract the best work from their employees

- Chitra Narayanan

In her book The Fearless Organisation, Harvard Business School professor Amy C Edmondson talks about psychological safety in the workplace and how it can lead to better decision-making.

She also says this enables the entire organization to take up its performance a notch or two higher.

Essentially, psychological safety entails creating an environment where employees feel bold enough to speak up and share their views candidly.

Edmondson first started studying psychological safety at the workplace in the late 1990s. Since then, she has done a vast body of research, especially among pharma companies, hospitals, to show how companies, where there is psychological safety, tend to thrive. While many organizations may believe they are open and easygoing and a good place to work, the reality may be different.