Learning & Democratic Workplaces

Daniel Debowco-founder + co-CEO | Rypple

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Education is a human right with immense power to transform. On its foundation rest the cornerstones of freedom, democracy and sustainable human development.

Kofi Annan

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Four ideas

1 Democratic workplaces must be learning workplaces

2 Learning organizations are inherently lean

3 Traditional performance reviews don’t help us motivate or learn

4 A better way to learn @work

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Democratic workplaces must be learning workplaces

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Learning workplaces are highly motivational

“Meaning is the new money.”

– Daniel Pink

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Source: June 2009 McKinsey global survey of 1,047 executives, managers, and employees from a range of sectors

More effective ✓ Used less often ✗

Recognition: the new way to motivate

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Learning organizations are inherently lean2

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Lean in Manufacturing (c. 1948)

“Develop human ability to its fullest capacity to best enhance creativity and fruitfulness

Utilize facilities and machines well

Eliminate all waste”

* Taiichi Ono

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Forecast demand+ Build inventory

Customer buys+ “old” designs+ Fire-sales

Old wayStore at lots & dealers

vs.

Build Car

Market feedback

Market feedback

Lean way

Build Car

Build Car

learn learn learn

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Lean in Software Development (c. 2001)

“Empower teams

Amplify learning

Eliminate waste

Above all, create Value!”* Mary Poppendieck

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Paper Specs/Plans

Major Launch

Big Build

Old way

vs.

MinorRelease

feedback feedback

Lean way (customer discovery)

MinorRelease

MinorRelease

learn learn learn

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The Agile Manifesto (c. 2001)We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it

and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:

• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

• Working software over comprehensive documentation

• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

• Responding to change over following a plan

While there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.

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Lean in Startups (c. 2009)

“A startup is a human institution designed to create a new product under

conditions of extreme uncertainty.

The speed at which a startup can learn is its competitive advantage and the

defining factor in its success.”* Eric Ries, startuplessonslearned.com

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Business Plans + Models + forecast

Public Launch

Stealth mode build

Old way

vs.

Minimal Product

userfeedback

userfeedback

Lean way

Minimal Product

Minimal Product

learn learn learn

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A common pattern emergesOnly value-add activities Eliminate

waste

Act in small increments Iterative Feedback/Learning

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Real learning & lasting change happens in small increments with frequent feedback & followup

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Behavioural change comes from frequent followup

No followup

Some followup

Consistent followup

Dr. Marshall Goldsmith

* M. Goldsmith & H. Morgan, Leadership is a contact sport

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Traditional performance reviews don’t help us motivate or learn

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“Get Rid of the Performance Review! It destroys morale, kills teamwork and hurts the bottom line.”

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“Now is as good a time as any to think about giving up this bankrupt process.”

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Employee activities (build up

inventory)

At Year End:Give feedback

Once a year:Review activities

+ fill forms

Performance management today

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Once or twice a year,

Companies stop…

“focal period”

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Fill out hundreds of complex forms…

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…evaluate people onabstract skills & competencies…

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“Here’s all the feedback. Now change.*”

…& give lots of feedback. In one instance.

* “By the way, here’s your raise, your bonus…”

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Time for a rethink

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A better way to learn @work4

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What would an agile people process look like?

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“Find the bright spots”*

* Chip & Dan Heath, Switch: How to change things when change is hard

Observations:3 key ongoing social feedback loopsat successful democratic companies

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Rypple’s missionMake these vital social feedback

loops easy & ubiquitous

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Why?1. Better managers 2. More learning 3. Improve results

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Publicly recognize achievements1 Motivates & amplifies learning

“One tool that can satisfy the thirst for guidance with minimal resources is microfeedback.Think of it as performance assessment for Twitterholics—succinct and nearly real time.”

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Alanah completes a difficult project

Jay, her manager, publicly recognizes her achievement

Others learn what works & what’s going on

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Easy to get and give safe, honest, continuous feedback2Difficult answers are the best insights

“Time and again, one variable emerged as central to the achievement of positive long-term change: participants’ ongoing interaction and follow-up with colleagues.”

Dr. Marshall Goldsmith

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George wants to be a helpful teammate.

Asks for advice from co-workers & managers.

Gets some incredibly honest feedback

Commits to improving

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1:1 Manager/Employee sessions3 Employees want frequent ongoing coaching

“The performance review should be replaced by daily ongoing contact with managers who know the work and who can become coaches.”

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Easy, ongoing coaching

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The social feedback loops in action

“Work on how you respond to questions from

Executives”

Daily activities Feedback

“Great work on fixing the webinar slides so quickly!”

Daily activities

“Focus on fewer but higher value

projects”

“What do you really think about

our new strategy?”

Feedback Daily activities Feedback Daily

activities

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Employee activities

At Year End:Give feedback

Once a year:Review activities

+ fill forms

The traditional way

The agile way

Daily activities

Daily activities

Daily activities

Daily activitiesfeedback feedback feedback

learn learn learn learn

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Projects we’re working on 3

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The Rypple service1 Loved by democratic companies like you

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The Make Work Meaningful community2 People passionate about making work meaningful

Mike Beltzner

Dave Ulrich

Stephen Miles

Beth Steinberg

John Foster Marshall Goldsmith

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And…It’s time for a manifesto

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The Agile People Manifesto3 Seeds of a revolution in managing for performance

NEW

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An open collaboration among democratic companies to lay down few principles ofThe Agile People revolution

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And we need your help to change the world.

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How you can help1. Visit agilepeoplemanifesto.org 2. Comment + share3. Try the principles in your workplace4. Learn + feedback!

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Summary

1 Democratic workplaces must be learning workplaces

2 Learning organizations are inherently lean

3 Traditional performance reviews don’t help us motivate or learn

4 A better way to learn @work

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rypple.com/ddebow/Worldblu2010

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