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Abstract: This article discusses the importance of fostering a culture of vulnerability in organizations in order to improve performance and innovation. It explores the research showing that psychological safety, where employees feel comfortable taking risks and admitting weaknesses, leads to better teamwork, problem-solving and learning. While research demonstrates the benefits of vulnerability, most companies still struggle to create truly psychologically safe cultures. The article then provides practical recommendations for leadership to cultivate vulnerability based on real-world company examples. These include leaders modeling vulnerability, defining clear expectations for respectful engagement, aligning rewards and accountability to encourage risk-taking, and establishing ongoing processes like workshops and reviews that support development from failures and critique. By consciously shaping behaviors, systems and development opportunities, the article argues leaders can embed vulnerability into the culture in a way that transforms how their organization learns, improves and competes over the long-run.
In today's fast-paced and competitive business environment, organizations are starting to recognize the value that comes from cultivating an environment of psychological safety, trust, and openness. However, fostering a culture where vulnerability is embraced remains a challenge for most companies.
Today we will explore the research foundation supporting why organizations should aim to foster cultures of vulnerability, as well as practical steps that leadership can take to encourage vulnerability in their workforce.
Research Foundation - Why Vulnerability Matters
There is substantial academic research evidencing the performance advantages that stem from fostering cultures of vulnerability in organizations. Professor Amy Edmondson's work established that psychological safety - team members' belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking - is critical for team learning, problem solving, and efficiency (Edmondson, 1999). Alternatively, when individuals fear looking ignorant, incompetent, negligent, or hostile in front of others, likelihood of learning and performance drops significantly.
Other key findings include:
Brené Brown's large-scale research found vulnerability is the only path to meaningful connections with others, creativity, ownership over mistakes, and wholehearted living (Brown, 2018).
Google's Project Aristotle identified psychological safety as the defining factor of high performing teams - even more so than differing skills or backgrounds of team members (Duhigg, 2016).
Studies show people are more engaged, committed and perform better when their leaders model vulnerability (Nembhard & Edmondson, 2006; Walumbwa et al., 2011).
In summary, research consistently shows fostering an environment where people feel safe to admit weaknesses without fear of judgment or retaliation leads to superior learning, problem solving, innovation, and performance outcomes for organizations. However, achieving true cultures of vulnerability remains challenging for most companies.
Fostering Vulnerability in Practice
The following sections outline practical steps leadership can take, supported by real-world examples, to foster cultures where employees feel secure bringing their whole selves to work through appropriate levels of respectful vulnerability.
Model Vulnerability from the Top
For employees to feel safe being vulnerable, leaders must role model this behavior first. Researchers have found people are less likely to admit faults or ask for help when their leaders portray themselves as perfect or infallible (Walumbwa et al., 2011). At Netflix, CEO Reed Hastings established vulnerability as a core leadership competency by openly sharing his limitations and learning from mistakes in company-wide emails (Edmondson, 2019).
At Toyota, the top management "genchi genbutsu" approach of personally going to the front lines to observe problems paved the way for admitting failures without fear of embarrassment (Liker, 2004). Healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente fosters physician vulnerability through "morbidity and mortality conferences" where doctors candidly discuss recent medical errors or complications to collectively learn and improve (Edmondson, 2019). These examples show that leading with honesty and humility from the top is key to enabling vulnerability throughout an organization.
Define Expectations around Vulnerability
For a culture of vulnerability to take root, clear expectations around behavior must be set. Software company GitHub drafted a "psychological safety pledge" to define respectful engagement and clarify that mistakes will be met with compassion rather than punishment (Duhigg, 2016).
At Quest Diagnostics, the laboratory testing company, leadership workshops outline desired behaviors like accepting non-defensiveness, being open to others' perspectives, and separating intent from impact when giving feedback (Edmondson, 2019). Deutshe Bank implemented a code of cooperation encouraging open sharing of ideas and mistakes without fear of reprisal to foster learning and innovation (Ashkenas & Janicijevic, 2016). Setting norms and getting buy-in on appropriate vulnerability is crucial for sustainably embedding it in an organization's culture.
Align Rewards and Accountability accordingly
For vulnerability to flourish, incentives and consequences must be structured to support it. At Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest hedge fund, candor is a core value but also backed by transparent records of everyone's inputs and an abstention punishment for withholding perspectives (Sinek, 2014).
Google directly ties project funding to teams demonstrating high psychological safety - encouraging risk-taking without fear of failure (Duhigg, 2016). Intuit aligns bonuses to transparency around product defects disclosed to help teams improve faster (Edmonson, 2019). When people know being vulnerable will be met with support rather than punishments, they will feel more inclined to admit shortcomings.
Foster Continuous Learning and Growth
To prevent vulnerability from feeling risky, organizations need processes supporting ongoing development. At IDEO, creativity workshops encourage tentative ideas and criticisms in a non-judgmental space, knowing imperfect work leads to breakthrough innovations (Kelley & Kelley, 2013).
Amazon implements "post-mortems" after product launches to invite vulnerability and collective problem solving around failures (Yakoboski, 2020). At Bridgewater, weekly "Truth Process" meetings uphold candor around weaknesses to drive individual and collective growth (Sinek, 2014). Providing venues where people feel safe exposing gaps and collaborating on improvements encourages vulnerability.
Conclusion
Research conclusively shows that creating psychologically safe cultures where people feel secure being vulnerable and admitting limitations accelerates organizational learning, problem solving, innovation and performance. However, truly fostering environments embracing appropriate levels of respectful vulnerability requires conscious effort. Leaders must model this behavior, clearly define expected behaviors, align systems encouraging risk-taking without fear of punishment, and embed ongoing processes supporting development from failures and critical feedback. When done right through a sustained focus on people, processes and systems, cultivating workforces comfortable with vulnerability can transform how organizations learn, improve and compete.
References
Brown, B. (2018). Dare to lead: Brave work. Tough conversations. Whole hearts. Random House.
Duhigg, C. (2016, February 25). What Google learned from its quest to build the perfect team. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/what-google-learned-from-its-quest-to-build-the-perfect-team.html
Edmondson, A. C. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999
Edmondson, A. (2019). The fearless organization: Creating psychological safety in the workplace for learning, innovation, and growth. John Wiley & Sons.
Kelley, T., & Kelley, D. (2013). Creative confidence: Unleashing the creative potential within us all. Crown Business.
Liker, J. K. (2004). The Toyota way: 14 management principles from the world's greatest manufacturer. McGraw-Hill Education.
Nembhard, I. M., & Edmondson, A. C. (2006). Making it safe: The effects of leader inclusiveness and professional status on psychological safety and improvement efforts in health care teams. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 27(7), 941–966. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.413
Schein, E. H., & Schein, P. (2016). Organizational culture and leadership (5th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
Sinek, S. (2014, January). Why good leaders make you feel safe | Simon Sinek [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_why_good_leaders_make_you_feel_safe?language=en
Walumbwa, F. O., Luthans, F., Avey, J. B., & Oke, A. (2011). Authentically leading groups: The mediating role of collective psychological capital and trust. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 32(1), 4–24. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.653
Yakoboski, P. (2020, July 7). The power of vulnerability: 5 lessons from Jeff Bezos' annual shareholder letters. Inc. https://www.inc.com/paul-yakoboski/the-power-of-vulnerability-5-lessons-from-jeff-bezos-annual-shareholder-letters.html
Additional Reading
Westover, J. H. (2024). Optimizing Organizations: Reinvention through People, Adapted Mindsets, and the Dynamics of Change. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.3
Westover, J. H. (2024). Reinventing Leadership: People-Centered Strategies for Empowering Organizational Change. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.4
Westover, J. H. (2024). Cultivating Engagement: Mastering Inclusive Leadership, Culture Change, and Data-Informed Decision Making. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.5
Westover, J. H. (2024). Energizing Innovation: Inspiring Peak Performance through Talent, Culture, and Growth. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.6
Westover, J. H. (2024). Championing Performance: Aligning Organizational and Employee Trust, Purpose, and Well-Being. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.7
Citation: Westover, J. H. (2024). Workforce Evolution: Strategies for Adapting to Changing Human Capital Needs. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.8
Westover, J. H. (2024). Navigating Change: Keys to Organizational Agility, Innovation, and Impact. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.11
Westover, J. H. (2024). Inspiring Purpose: Leading People and Unlocking Human Capacity in the Workplace. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.12
Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.
Suggested Citation: Westover, J. H. (2024). Fostering a Culture of Vulnerability at Work. Human Capital Leadership Review, 15(1). doi.org/10.70175/hclreview.2020.15.1.11
