Edmondson, The Fearless Organization

Twenty years of research inform The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth (Wiley, 2019) by Amy C. Edmondson, a professor at the Harvard Business School. Although by now most managers know, at least in theory, that they should provide an environment in which workers at all levels can share their ideas—and mistakes—without the fear of belittlement or reprisal, not enough managers know how to put this into practice. A 2017 Gallup poll found that only 3 in 10 employees strongly agreed with the statement that their opinions count at work.

Edmondson’s work bridges this gap between theory and practice. With findings from academic research and case studies from a wide range of workplace settings, she explains how to build an organization in which learning, innovation, and growth can flourish.