How to Move Your Organization from Fear to Fearlessness

Psychological Safety is the answer. Here’s how to get started.

Psychological Safety is the answer. Here’s how to get started.

source: Adobe Stock

The fear of speaking up is pervasive — unfortunately, most people don’t realize it.

Silence is unnoticed, but the costs of fear shouldn’t — they are massive. According to Harvard professor Amy Edmondson, companies waste millions of dollars because most employees stay silent.

Speaking up is vital to drive progress and innovation. If you or your team stay silent, your organization loses invaluable input. People don’t just hold back bad news or dissent, but ideas for improvement and growth.

Holding back is natural. Silence is intuitive when we don’t feel safe. That’s why most of us think twice before sharing an idea or asking a question during a meeting. We don’t want to be laughed at, ridiculed, ignored, or punished — we think speaking up will get us into trouble.

Organizations need creativity and innovation, not silence. Without trouble, there’s no change. A fearless culture encourages participation — everyone…