Teaming with Amy C. Edmondson

“The issues we face are so big and so challenging that we cannot do it alone, so there is a certain humility and a recognition that we need to invite other people in. When you look at any issue such as food or water scarcity it is very clear that no individual institution, government, or company can provide the solution.”
- Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever

For many of us, our professional training conditioned us to compete -- to view others as competitors not collaborators. Yet, to address the complex issues of the modern health care system, we will need to overcome professional and personal barriers that hinder us from working together as partners. For Amy Edmondson, the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, this type of work is called “teaming.” Watch her TED talk to learn more.

For reflection alone or together:

Amy states that “situational humility combined with curiosity creates a sense of psychological safety that allows you take risks with strangers.” How has this been more or less true for you?

Amy says, “For me to succeed, you must fail. Now, I don't think too many organizations welcome newcomers that way anymore, but still, many times people arrive with that message of scarcity anyway.It's me or you. It's awfully hard to team if you inadvertently see others as competitors.”

What are some of the effects of seeing team members as competitors that you have personally experienced?