Safe Enough to Soar: Accelerating Trust, Inclusion, & Collaboration in the Workplace

by Fred Miller

Some organizations pay a great deal of attention to ensuring the physical safety of their team members, but do the team members feel safe enough to speak up and raise tough concerns? Share bold ideas that are still in formation?

In this audiobook, best-selling authors and inclusion experts Frederick A. Miller and Judith H. Katz introduce the concept of “interaction safety” and demonstrate how it can help create a work environment of trust, inclusion, and collaboration.

Interaction safety encourages reasonable risk-taking and inspires every individual to be brave enough to reach for higher goals and more ambitious possibilities. When interaction safety exists, people know they will not be penalized, ostracized, demoted, made small, discounted, or shunned because of their thoughts, contributions, and conversations. Individuals feel encouraged, empowered, and can achieve more together than they would alone.

Miller and Katz provide a four-level model for assessing and increasing the interaction safety in organizations, illustrated by short scenarios taken from real-life situations. They offer concrete actions team members, leaders, and organizations can take to build and maintain a productive, collaborative, and innovative environment in which people do their best work individually and collectively.

When interaction safety is a way of life, the energy people used to spend walking on eggshells, trying to get their ideas heard, navigating minefields, or avoiding those they distrust can instead be put toward doing their best work and winning bigger for the organization.

With a culture of openness and true collaboration, both the organization and individual can soar!

Audible Audio

Published September 20, 2018

Reviews

[Marta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book creates an impression that political correctness is the only way to create a safe environment. I have a strong feeling that described models don't take into account that we are all human beings, with our own unique characteristics and specifications which often shows in our communication methods. It assumes that only one, specific way of communication is the correct one.

As a person who is not a big fan of censorship and being polite at all costs, I don't find this book valuable. I strongly believe that open, transparent communication and assuming good intentions instead of penalizing people for jokes or assuming that some joke will make someone uncomfortable and creating fake boundaries, instead of asking people to communicate directly when they feel offended, leads to a community that's afraid to speak up to avoid being punished for using not polite enough wording.

[Iris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book because I've been on both sides of the story line. I also was a manger for eight years and I've encountered Leaders that have fallen as a Leader. I do think this book is good for new hires and to go over with your team. Especially if you are in a leader position.

[Julio Biason · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't get me wrong, I do understand where the book is aiming for -- giving people a voice, no matter what -- but I believe it aged badly, mostly due the way culture changed. Also, the analogies/anecdotes are a bit too far fetched, which actually hide the real purpose of "interaction safety".

So, what it is this about: This is, basically, "give everyone a voice, and let them exercise it". All good, I totally agree with this, and a good leadership should always worry about it.

But what isn't specified -- and what I meant by the way the culture change -- is that it misses the point that people will talk to each other more things that just work. How do you give a voice to someone that denies the holocaust? Should you give a chance to someone that keeps bringing "election fraud" in every possible instance? Those are part of a culture shift, in which we started to being more stuff into work. Sure, it makes totally sense to get new input on work subjects, but that would require a good culture inside the company to leave controversial statements outside work outside, and the book doesn't cover that (and I'm all in for controversial statements about work itself).

Also, it lacks some conflict resolution: What if I give a voice to someone, explain the problem with their idea, but they can't concede that it doesn't make sense? Would that person feel fine with it? How do you disarm the possible bomb when constant suggestions are dropped for one reason or the other?

The analogies are also a bad point of the book. Since the authors describe four levels of "interaction safety" in the book, they put a little story for the level. And, obviously, the first level is pretty bad, while the fourth one is all marvelous and people love their work for that. And it gets tiring very early seeing "interaction safety" instead of "conversations" or something like it.

Another problem: The lack of concrete points on how to act. Sure, there are lists like "A company in X level would have this" which you can infer some actions, but a list of "start writing X down", "when you realize comments that sound racist, call the person to explain why they shouldn't say it, instead of calling them out in public" -- which is a real thing people should do to provide safety to the group -- would be a lot more helpful than anything.

Again, I'm not against the aim of the book, I just dislike the way it is presented.

[Beth Filar Williams]

not worth rating. had to read for work. nothing knew really just a structure to help with a workplace trust. unless all your workplace reads it, its not worth it b/c ALL people need buying or this wont work

[Mallory · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing new or special, ended up skimming most of it.

[Valerie Oswald · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that focuses on interaction safety in the workplace. It is an interesting read and made me ponder which level is my current job at and what level were my previous jobs at.

[Una-Minh Kavanagh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Felt very short. Good for thinking about as a manager but very low on content.