What We Misinterpret About Psychological Safety

0:28This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. of America for a reason. With SUVs made to move with your rhythm. The versatile Equinox tackles your entire day. The spacious Traverse fits your crew and your whole weekend. And tracks bring style with value you can count on. All infused with tech that has your back. So your drive always hits the right chord. Chevrolet. Together let's drive. Psychological safety is a powerful idea, but it's often misunderstood. I'm Amy Edmondson, a professor at Harvard Business School. In my latest Harvard Business Review article, my co-author and I break down what psychological safety really means and why getting it wrong can hold companies back.

1:12One common misconception, that psychological safety means being nice. I've heard teams say, we're psychologically safe, we never argue. But that's not safety, that's silence. Psychological safety means people feel able to speak up with candor, even when it's uncomfortable. It's not about avoiding disagreement. It's about knowing that when you raise a concern or share a dissenting view, you won't be penalized for it. When people confuse comfort with safety, they hold back. And that gets in the way of learning, collaboration, and good decision making. Take the Kennedy administration. Leading up to the Bay of Pigs invasion, key advisors to the president stayed silent, worried about seeming disloyal.

1:58The result was a major failure. But just a year later, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy insisted on and created space for open debate. That willingness to surface disagreement helped avoid a nuclear catastrophe. In business, the stakes may be different, but the need for candid conversation is just as real. Psychological safety isn't about being nice. It's about creating the expectation and the permission to speak up, especially when it's hard. To learn more about how we misunderstand psychological safety and what leaders can do to get it right, read my full article in Harvard Business Review.

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