192. Amy Edmondson – Failure Factors | Part 2

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“An apology is a small word, but has enormous power interpersonally.”

Episode Summary:

Dr. Amy Edmondson, the world’s leading authority in psychological safety, discusses her background and the science of failing well. She shares her journey from growing up in New York City to becoming a professor at Harvard Business School. She explains how her mentor, Buckminster Fuller, influenced her curiosity and joy for learning. Dr. Edmondson also delves into the concept of psychological safety and its impact on team learning and innovation. She distinguishes between mistakes and failures and introduces the three failure archetypes: intelligent failures, basic failures, and complex failures. Finally, she explores the relationship between uncertainty and preventability in the context of failure. In this conversation, Amy Edmondson and Shannon Cassidy discuss the importance of failing well and how to respond to failure. They explore the concept of psychological safety and its role in creating a culture that embraces failure as a learning opportunity. They also discuss the criteria for intelligent failure and share stories of successful individuals who have learned from their failures. The conversation covers topics such as self-awareness, the power of questions, the role of apology in healing relationships, and how to thrive as fallible human beings.

R.O.G. Takeaway Tips:

The relationship between uncertainty and preventability in the context of failure Failing well requires creating a culture of psychological safety where individuals feel comfortable taking risks and learning from failure.
Self-awareness is crucial in failing well, as it allows individuals to recognize their weaknesses and make necessary adjustments.
Asking good questions is a powerful tool in responding to failure, as it encourages reflection and learning.
Apologies have the power to heal relationships and should be genuine, taking accountability and offering to make amends.
To thrive as fallible human beings, it is important to persist through struggles, be reflective, and take more risks.
Fallible Human Beings (FHB) coined by Maxi Maltzby
Persist through struggles
Invest time in reflection
Learn how to apologize.
Fail more often (take more smart risks).

Guest Bio:

Amy Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, a chair established to support the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is the author of Right Kind of Wrong.

After decades of award-winning research, Amy Edmondson is here to upend our understanding of failure and make it work for us. In Right Kind of Wrong, Edmondson provides the framework to think, discuss, and practice failure wisely. Outlining the three archetypes of failure—basic, complex, and intelligent—Amy showcases how to minimize unproductive failure while maximizing what we gain from flubs of all stripes.

She illustrates how we and our organizations can embrace our human fallibility, learn exactly when failure is our friend, and prevent most of it when it is not. This is the key to pursuing smart risks and preventing avoidable harm.

With vivid, real-life stories from business, pop culture, history, and more, Edmondson gives us specifically tailored practices, skills, and mindsets to help us replace shame and blame with curiosity, vulnerability, and personal growth. You’ll never look at failure the same way again.

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