Susan Hunt Stevens is the Founder and CEO of WeSpire, a technology platform that helps achieve the company’s goals through better employee engagement. WeSpire delivers applications at scale including sustainability, diversity and inclusion; moreover, they enable employees to be recognized for shaping a welcoming community both inside and outside the firm.

We talked to Susan about her observations on the value of building diverse teams, the creation of the psychologically safe workplace, and most importantly, the ethical application of behavioral science. She shared seven simple questions, created by Amy Edmonson, PhD at Harvard, to identify the levels of psychological safety within her client organizations. We encourage you to consider them for yourself.

1. If you make a mistake on this team, it is often held against you.
2. Members of this team are able to bring up problems and tough issues.
3. People on this team sometimes reject others for being different.
4. It is safe to take a risk on this team.
5. It is difficult to ask other members of this team for help.
6. No one on this team would deliberately act in a way that undermines my efforts.
7. Working with members of this team, my unique skills and talents are valued and utilized.

Susan’s insightful comments mix a passion for the application of good research and a desire to help build productive, profitable organizations that treat their people with respect.

We also want to give a special shout to Emily Wagner for turning us on to Susan’s work. Thank you, Emily!

© 2020 Behavioral Grooves

Links

Susan Hunt Stevens: https://www.linkedin.com/in/huntstevens/

WeSpire: https://www.wespire.com/

Amy Edmondson, PhD: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6451

Nir Eyal “Hooked”: https://www.nirandfar.com/hooked/

How to Measure Psychological Safety on Your Team: https://www.business2community.com/strategy/measure-psychological-safety-team-01730787

“I Hired a Wife” article: https://medium.com/@chrismorgan_1657/i-hired-a-wife-and-my-career-took-off-16dc8ae481fe

Cass Sunstein Ethics Guide: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2526341

Susan Cain “Quiet”: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8520610-quiet

Google’s Project Aristotle: https://www.inc.com/michael-schneider/google-thought-they-knew-how-to-create-the-perfect.html

Musical Links

Irish Step Dancing from Riverdance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B718RsboGEI

Drop Kick Murphys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-64CaD8GXw

Abba “Dancing Queen”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFrGuyw1V8s