WB Reading List: Psychological safety, feedback, and loneliness.
What I have been reading:
The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmundson
A practical and accessible guide to creating teams and work environments that are safe for innovation, collaboration, and fulfillment. Psychological safety should not be shelved in the category of “woo woo.” Lives have been lost, companies failed, and projects missed the mark because someone wanted and needed to speak up but stopped because they were afraid. Afraid of humiliation for a novel idea or of losing their job because of an intelligent error. Both are indications of a toxic work environment.
Takeaways: “A 2017 Gallup poll found that only 3 in 10 employees strongly agree with the statement that their opinions count at work. “
Psychological safety allows people to focus on shared goals, the mission, rather than protecting themselves and their jobs. (Edmundson, p12).
How Managers Can Make Feedback a Team Habit by Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis
Feedback isn’t a dirty word. It is essential for individual and team growth, psychological safety, and productivity. Do it early and often and preferably in real time. Tupper and Ellis go through why it is hard and offer a practical approach to integrating it into the team’s work.
Takeaways: “Challenge-and-build” meetings: These meetings are an opportunity for anyone on a team to receive feedback on an idea or project they’re working on. Employees share a summary of an idea and invite people to attend a challenge-and-build meeting about it. These meetings give individuals the opportunity — and the permission — to practice feedback and share their perspective in a way that feels safe, with the emphasis on a project or idea rather than a person.”
Surgeon General: We Have Become a Lonely Nation. It’s Time to Fix That by Vivek Murthy
Murthy describes his own situation after his first stint as surgeon general, “Loneliness — like depression, with which it can be associated — can chip away at your self-esteem and erode your sense of who you are. That happened to me.” His vulnerability makes a powerful case for our needs as humans for connection.
Takeaways: “Loneliness is more than just a bad feeling. When people are socially disconnected, their risk of anxiety and depression increases. So does their risk of heart disease (29 percent), dementia (50 percent), and stroke (32 percent). The increased risk of premature death associated with social disconnection is comparable to smoking daily — and may be even greater than the risk associated with obesity.”