Surgical Hot Topics

In this episode, Dr. Michael Maddaus interviews Dr. Amy Edmondson—a scholar of leadership, teaming, and organizational learning. Best known for her groundbreaking work on psychological safety in the workplace, Dr. Edmondson is the author of seven books and is ranked as one of the most influential management thinkers. What is psychological safety? According to Dr. Edmondson, it is a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes, and that the team is safe for inter-personal risk-taking. In other words, she says, “Think of it as felt permission for candor.” Dr. Maddaus reflects on the surgical culture in which fear and anxiety have been the accepted drivers of high expectations and excellence. The concept of psychological safety, though, has shown him a different way, and together with Dr. Edmondson, he discusses a “recipe for magic”—the magic for better outcomes, better problem-solving, and a more flexible and rapid ability to adapt and create fo