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1999Learning

Edmondson on psychological safety

The point, in one line

A shared belief that it is safe to say the awkward thing. Not comfort — the condition for learning.

How it works

Better-regarded hospital units reported more errors not because they made more, but because it was safe there to report one.

  1. Safe to speak upAsking the obvious, disagreeing with the leader, owning a mistake.
  2. Learning behaviourYou ask, you seek feedback, you discuss the errors.
  3. Better performanceSafety on its own improves nothing; the learning is what delivers.
You can see where the chain breaks: safety without high standards stays a comfortable zone where nothing happens.
The same thing, in your club
  1. The situation

    The sponsor stopped replying three weeks ago, the sign-up link has been broken since Monday. The person who knew said nothing.

  2. What the model says

    Saying it here means taking the blame, and that is a question of climate. Where it is unsafe the errors do not disappear; the news of them does.

  3. What you do

    At the next meeting speak last and open with one mistake of your own; when someone brings bad news, make your first sentence thanks.

What it claims

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Who created it

AE1999
An illustrated emblem, not a portrait.
Amy C. Edmondson
1999

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Why this is your problem

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Why gslk uses it

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Where it runs in the product

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Source

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Rights and licence
In copyright

The primary source is in copyright. This page retells it in our own words and cites it rather than reproducing it.

What this connects to

These works are related to the one you just read — and not by accident:

Grounds these competency domains

Of the ten gslk competency domains, this work grounds:

The student version
Edmondson on psychological safety

The same work written for a member: what to do with it in the club.

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