How to turn a group of strangers into a team by Amy Edmondson
22. Juni 2022 | von Danica Zeier
Who is Amy Edmondson and why is she important for us?
Amy Edmondson is a Harvard Business School professor. As a renowned author of many books and studies, she deals with topics such as psychological safety, leadership and teaming processes. Amy is trying to understand what differentiates good teams from the bad ones, and how to use that knowledge so everyone can benefit from it.
Teaming up
„Teamwork makes the dream work!” is a phrase that everyone has heard at least once in their work life.
And probably rolled their eyes to.
Many times, teamwork is very much the opposite of dream work. Having to work with professionals with different backgrounds, different value systems and different understanding of the world can be stressful, and often not very productive. One of the most common reasons for that is the lack of the feeling of safety. Even though every member wants to contribute, they often just end up keeping their opinions to themselves in fear of being wrong.
From team members to high level leaders, everyone can benefit from having people around them who feel safe to share their ideas, and even more, each person can benefit from being the one who is not afraid to speak up. Watch Amy Edmondson’s TED talk and see the great things that can happen when people work together fuelled by humbleness, curiosity and willingness to take risks and learn.
“In our silos, we can get things done. But when we step back and reach out and reach across, miracles can happen.”
Key takeaways
It is true that working with people different from ourselves can be very challenging. However, if everyone stays interested in what the other person brings to the table, it can be very enriching!
By being open to other people’s ideas, teams make their members feel valued and safe, instead of afraid and shut-down.
Collaboration beats competition. Not perceiving other team members as competitors leads to improved collaboration and better teamwork.
