Amy Edmondson
Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School, Author, American scholar of leadership, teaming, and organizational learning
Amy Edmondson is a renowned expert in teaming, team psychological safety (a term she coined), and organizational learning. Since 2011, she has consistently ranked among the top management thinkers in the biannual Thinkers50 global ranking, securing the #1 position in both 2021 and 2023. Her work has been published in leading academic and management journals, including Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, and Harvard Business Review. Her book, The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth, has been translated into 15 languages and has had a profound impact on organizational culture. Her latest book, Right Kind of Wrong, extends her previous work on psychological safety and teaming, offering a framework for embracing failure as a pathway to success.
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Stable teams of people who have learned over time to work well together can be powerful tools. But given the speed of change, the intensity of market competition, and the unpredictability of customers’ needs today, there often isn’t enough time to build that kind of team. Instead, organizations increasingly must bring together not only their own far-flung employees from various disciplines and divisions but also external specialists and stakeholders, only to disband them when they’ve achieved their goal or when a new opportunity arises.
Flight Template Series: Amy Edmondson: Teaming, Learning from Failure, and Psychological Safety
Teaming: Working & Communication Styles
Categories
Description
In Amy Edmondson's book, Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge Economy, she explores the concept of teaming as a fundamental aspect of modern organizations. In today's fast-paced and complex business environment, success often depends on the ability of individuals to come together across boundaries to work collaboratively and adaptively on various projects and tasks—oftentimes in temporary project groups. Effective communication is a cornerstone of successful teaming. It encompasses not only the exchange of information but also the ability to listen actively, provide constructive feedback, and adapt communication styles to the needs and preferences of team members. Understanding and respecting different communication styles and preferences can help teams navigate challenges, resolve conflicts, and collaborate more effectively.
By discussing and reflecting on your working and communication styles within Edmondson’s framework, you can identify areas for improvement, establish common ground, and develop strategies to enhance your collective performance. This discussion is an opportunity to align expectations, clarify norms, and work towards shared goals.
Suggested Questions
Types of Insights
Actionable team communication preferences and norms