GRANTED: What it takes to have freedom and psychological safety at work

October 2021

If two people always agree, it’s a sign that at least one of them isn’t thinking critically—or speaking candidly. Intellectual friction isn't a relationship bug. It's a feature of learning.

Some recent sources of learning for me:

1. The psychology of fighting Zoom fatigue (Vignesh Ramachandran, Stanford)
-Increase mobility: give permission to walk around -Reduce eye contact intensity: sit farther away -Reduce self-consciousness: turn off the self-view -Reduce cognitive load: hold audio-only sessions
2. How to think outside your brain (Annie Murphy Paul, NYT)
A fascinating analysis of how our patterns of body movement and interaction can limit or extend our mental capacity. One example: financial traders who are adept at reading their own heartbeats make better investments.

3. How does a comedy outsider make sense of Norm Macdonald? (Malcolm Gladwell, Bulletin)
If you want to understand a person's unique talents, pay attention to what the people inside their field admire about them.

From my desk   4. The real meaning of freedom at work (WSJ) The Great Resignation isn’t a mad dash away from the office. It’s the culmination of a long march toward freedom. Flexibility is more than choosing the place where you work. It's having freedom to decide your purpose, your people, and your priorities.

5. Is it safe to speak up at work? (WorkLife)
Expert Amy Edmondson breaks down what psychological safety is and why it matters, and Admiral William McRaven explains how to build a culture of voice rather than silence. Apple | Spotify

In solidarity,

Adam Grant, Ph.D.
Organizational psychologist at Wharton, author of THINK AGAIN, ORIGINALS, GIVE AND TAKE, and OPTION B, and host of WorkLife, a TED original podcast