The Fearless Organization

talented individuals is not enough. They have to be able to work well together.

Instead of asking workers to give their opinions directly about safety issues, they asked, “what do we need to do to create a work environment of care and respect?” That was when workers started to feel safe enough to speak up about specific concerns.

called Crew Resource Management). Both programs teach ways of thinking and decision-making. CRM – a program that, among other skills, instructs aviation crews to speak up to their captain when they feel something is wrong and likewise instructs captains to listen to crew concerns – is especially well suited to creating environments of psychological

Psychological safety does not imply excessive talking and over-processing. Psychologically safe meetings do not have to take longer. Conversely,

Success required constant innovation, fueled by expertise, ingenuity, and teamwork. But without psychological safety, it is difficult for expertise and ingenuity to be put to good use.

Leadership Self-Assessment The practices described in this chapter are dominated by complex interpersonal skills and thus not easy to master. They take time, effort, and practice.36 Perhaps the most important aspect of learning them is to practice self-reflection. A set of self-assessment questions, provided in a sidebar, can be used to do just tha

In sum, leaders who are approachable and accessible, acknowledge their fallibility, and proactively invite input from others can do much to establish and enhance psychological safety in their organizations. Powerful tools, indeed.

In a psychologically safe climate, people will offer ideas and voice their concerns regardless of whether they tend toward introversion or extroversion.

The second tool for inviting participation is inquiry. Inquiry is purposeful probing to learn more about an issue, situation, or person.