Focus on Psychological Safety and Accountability

During the first 6 - 9 months of the global pandemic, we focused on execution-as-learning rather than execution-as-efficiency. There was so much that was new and unknown. We just took it day by day, problem by problem.

Now that things are sightly more stable, many leaders want to rush back to an execution-as-efficiency form of work during this recovery period. This is a dangerous choice. 

First, during the execution-as-learning phase, we used the best knowledge available to create new systems and processes. We knew the information we were using would be constantly changing. We also knew that it was going to be hard to measure employee productivity or individual performance given how much change was moving through the organization.

So, in order to create psychological safety for continued execution-as-learning, we made sure no one was penalized for asking for help or admitting a mistake. We were in a whole new world.

Yet, supporting psychological safety can make holding people accountable more difficult. The key to doing both is to have clear performance expectations while acknowledging that uncertainty will require continued debate and dialogue. When we do both of these things, we make it possible to give tough feedback, have difficult conversations, and confront the brutal facts with respect and trust.

What senior leaders need to remember is that this level of work often falls on the shoulders of middle managers. They are the ones who have to learn faster given the operational challenges that surface every day. They are the ones who have to figure out what is and what is not working.

One way to support middle managers is to hold safe, face-to-face meetings. During these gatherings, we have to share lessons learned, unlearned and relearned. This creates disciplined reflection and sharing.

Now, I understand that these meetings will takes time and people away from production. But it is not lost productivity. It is the building of capacity to meet the complex and changing needs of the current and future markets and the customers. When we create space for learning, we make learning happen faster and scaling up the lessons learned better.

For more information on execution-as-learning vs execution-as-efficiency, I suggest you read the following article: “The Competitive Imperative of Learning” by Amy C. Edmondson in the July-August 2008 issue of the Harvard Business Review.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257