The open organization community sure knows how to throw a party.
On January 18, 2017, everyone gathered on Twitter to celebrate The Open Organization Workbook, released last December. Conversation from contributors was lively and sharp.
Here's a recap of all the enlightening chatter.
Q1: What's your OpenOrg 2018 resolution? How do you want to work more openly in the new year?
A1: At @LDR21com we are working to shift to value based pay & open PTO policies #OpenOrgChat
— Jen Kelchner (@JenKelchner) January 18, 2018
A1: To make working in the open fun (& easy)! Human’s respond to things that are enjoyable, so my goal is to marry business value to empathy & fun in 2018. #OpenOrgChat
— Guy Martin (@guyma) January 18, 2018
#OpenOrgChat A1 I'm in a new-ish role, and have been heads down in it. I resolve to reach out more internally, to participate more, to make myself more available. It's easy to lose sight that the #OpenOrg takes constant work.
— Thomas Cameron (@thomasdcameron) January 18, 2018
A1: As #opensource community @metasfresh we are working openly. As company we somehow believe we are on a good path. Our 2018 resolution: Move further towards more openness. Still a lot left to discover. ;) #OpenOrgChat
— Mark Krake (@markkrake) January 18, 2018
A1: I'm trying to schedule time to do the work to enable #TheOpenOrg ideals within the teams I work with. Openness has many benefits but isn't free. Real time and attention are needed to be successful. Blocking out time to share and consume information is vital. #OpenOrgChat
— tomben (@tomben) January 18, 2018
A1: My #TheOpenOrg resolution for 2018 involves making sure we continue transparency in the #OpenSource community, gather feedback from more individuals in open source projects, and invite more people to participate in a multitude of ways.#OpenOrgChat https://t.co/BMaSYGjpK9
— Jonas Rosland (@jonasrosland) January 18, 2018
#openorgchat A1: Reach out to more communities and build documentation frameworks that we can share and contribute toghether on. There's a lot we can all learn from each other. Building the bridges is what I'd like help doing
— flaper87 @ ?? (@flaper87) January 18, 2018
A1: Open up more practices used by #OpenInnovationLabs to provide information on what and why they are used. Not necessarily new practices, but the ones we use to be #open, #transparent and #adaptive. https://t.co/W6wT4uZhZ4#OpenOrgChat
— Matt T. (@matt_takane) January 18, 2018
Q2: What are the biggest transparency challenges facing orgs today? How can we overcome them?
A2: FUD - Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt. Leaders need to be measured/graded on cross-team collab. Accountability drives behavior change. #OpenOrgChat
— Guy Martin (@guyma) January 18, 2018
Yes! #openorgchat Get specific re: expectations and follow up regularly for accountability.
— Angela Robertson (@ARobertson98) January 18, 2018
A2: Orgs often believe that hiding information leads to more security and stability. But: #Transparency allows to share information, enables ideas and faster innovation. This will prepare your organisation much better for future challenges. #OpenOrgChat
— Mark Krake (@markkrake) January 18, 2018
A2: Lack of trust is maintaining silos & other barriers between people & teams causing a lack of transparency #OpenOrgChat pic.twitter.com/bR0AXHTHv1
— Jen Kelchner (@JenKelchner) January 18, 2018
A2: I believe the biggest hurdle right now is overthinking it and doing nothing. By planning out every public communication in minute detail, valuable time is lost that could be spent on interaction instead. #community #TheOpenOrg #OpenOrgChat
— Jonas Rosland (@jonasrosland) January 18, 2018
#OpenOrgChat A2: the many unknowns there are on openness and strategies around it. Transparency is not all about letting everyone know everything about you. Knowing how toshare, how to engage, how to communicate and interact is as important as the willingness of doing it
— flaper87 @ ?? (@flaper87) January 18, 2018
A2: Information usability and information overload: It’s easy to provide access to content, but this can unbalance the signal to noise ratio and typically not everyone has the context or knowledge to understand all of the details. #OpenOrgChat
— tomben (@tomben) January 18, 2018
Q3: What's the value of #inclusivity in an OpenOrg? What steps can we take to make orgs more inclusive?
A3: #Inclusivity is for me the most important quality of an Open Organisation. Being inclusive allows to build communities and form an Org culture driven by all members. #OpenOrgChat
— Mark Krake (@markkrake) January 18, 2018
A3: To be more inclusive, I’d recommend people look at being more inclusive when defining problems rather than in just solving them. A narrow perspective on the actual problems often leads to incomplete solutions. (See the Double Diamond design model.) #OpenOrgChat
— tomben (@tomben) January 18, 2018
A3: The value is incredible to insights, innovation, growth and more. Start by seeking feedback from the underrepresented groups/people in your org. #OpenOrgChat
— Jen Kelchner (@JenKelchner) January 18, 2018
#OpenOrgChat A3 To make orgs more inclusive: Better hiring and promotion processes, better inclusivity training for existing staff, valuing different perspectives, backgrounds, cultures, and commitment to respecting and learning from them all.
— Thomas Cameron (@thomasdcameron) January 18, 2018
A3: You have to believe there's value in having lots of diverse perspectives and ideas before you can take steps to being more inclusive. I know a lot of folks say "oh yeah, we value diverse perspectives," but their actions tell another story. #OpenOrgChat https://t.co/MsOu4KwIu7
— Emily Stancil (@EmilyStancil) January 18, 2018
Q4: What prevents orgs from exercising adequate #adaptability? What can we do to create more flexible, agile, responsive teams?
A4: Failure to design for change across the organization. Despite the fact that we live in a time where change is a constant, we often don’t plan for it, instead assuming the solution we make today will last. #OpenOrgChat
— tomben (@tomben) January 18, 2018
A4: FUD - Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt (anyone see a pattern here? ?) The best thing leaders can do is model agile & responsive behaviors to their teams - encourage open debate & flexibility, while holding teams accountable to customer needs. #OpenOrgChat
— Guy Martin (@guyma) January 18, 2018
A4: #Adaptability means change. Change is often equalized with raising instability and insecurity. Change can also be equalized with improvements or problem solving. #OpenOrgChat
— Mark Krake (@markkrake) January 18, 2018
A4: Better to assume that services, functions, dependencies, and consumers will all need to change frequently to keep up, and plan for all of this. Understand the cost of change both upstream and downstream, do proper change management, loosely couple services, etc. #OpenOrgChat
— tomben (@tomben) January 18, 2018
A4: My belief is that having the proper tools and processes in place for open communication is key. If that is not available, being able to adapt to feedback and innovation can be severely hampered. #community #OpenOrgChat
— Jonas Rosland (@jonasrosland) January 18, 2018
#OpenOrgChat A4: Too much stability can be a factor here. If nothing needs to change, why explore other options? Becomes culture to keep what you have.
Leaders at all levels need to be aware when the org is falling into the same, and push expectations.— Jim Hall (@jimfhall) January 18, 2018
#openorgchat A4: Communication, communication, communication Pick the right tools to communication, teach people how to use them, and improve the way we communicate. This will help making teams more adaptive and to collaborate better. I'm scared to adapt to something I don't know
— flaper87 @ ?? (@flaper87) January 18, 2018
A4: Just being open to the idea of adaptability is the first step. Being willing to fail and learn from those failures is key to success. Create a culture of continued experimentation and learning #OpenOrgChat #DevOps https://t.co/5UJo7N6bEK
— Jason Hibbets (@jhibbets) January 18, 2018
A3: I think everyone has to advocate for inclusivity. Marcus Aureliius once wrote that "What isn't good for the bee, can't be good for the hive" and I absolutely agree with that. Inclusivity benefits the whole group, especially in an Open Org. #OpenOrgChat
— Chris Lentricchia (@IAmCippino) January 18, 2018
A4: Fear that adjusting scope or timelines will be perceived as poor project management or failure to deliver. Set the expectation upfront that you'll adjust these things as needed. Reiterate why, when you do. #OpenOrgChat
— Rebecca Fernandez (@ruhbehka) January 18, 2018
Q5: What blocks #collaboration on most teams (or across most orgs)? What are your go-to strategies for fostering collaborative work?
A5: Strategically: Teams often develop their own limited missions distinct from the org mission, leading to gaps and overlaps between teams causing lead to conflicts, hurting collaboration. Continually look for these gaps and overlaps and address them. #OpenOrgChat
— tomben (@tomben) January 18, 2018
A5: The evaluation/ assessment of individuals done solely by their executives. Instead let team members members do the evaluation too. If they work together on a daily basis the team knows very well what characteristics are valuable for the team success. #OpenOrgChat
— Mark Krake (@markkrake) January 18, 2018
A5: Collaboration requires members to feel safe and valued for their contribution, and able to trust the competency and safety of other members. So threat-reducing behaviors and demonstrated competency can naturally build collaboration. #OpenOrgChat
— Jen Kelchner (@JenKelchner) January 18, 2018
A5. Lack of transparency blocks #collaboration. #openorgchat
— Angela Robertson (@ARobertson98) January 18, 2018
#openorgchat A5: It's not the tools, it's not the internet, it's people. Humans are the ones collaborating, not the tools. The tools are a mean. You can install mailing lists and still have people either fighting or not talking to each other.
— flaper87 @ ?? (@flaper87) January 18, 2018
A5: No trust, no respect. To build trust and ultimately respect, I start with small wins and build up proof that when you collaborate with me, it's a win-win for both sides. #OpenOrgChat
— Emily Stancil (@EmilyStancil) January 18, 2018
A5: People can be territorial when it comes to their work. To be successful in an Open Org, you have to stop thinking about "me" and start thinking about "we". I find myself reminding people of this often, especially when the conversation gets a little heated. #OpenOrgChat
— Chris Lentricchia (@IAmCippino) January 18, 2018
Q6: What is #community? Why is community important to orgs today? How can we enhance community spirit in our everyday work?
A6: Community is how humans are wired - we *want* to work together. Org structures tend to work against that. Successful orgs harness this natural energy by encouraging empathy & personality @ work. #OpenOrgChat
— Guy Martin (@guyma) January 18, 2018
Q6: There are far smarter people who can talk about what #community is and why it is important. The only thing I know is that you enhance it by focusing on individual relationships and being kind to one another. #OpenOrgChat
— Jen Krieger (@mrry550) January 18, 2018
A6: It’s the community that helps lift an idea into a new way or viral message. It’s how you get that fast feedback without needing to do gorilla marketing campaigns. Everyone has an opinion and an idea, have the courage to share it! #OpenOrgChat
— Matt T. (@matt_takane) January 18, 2018
#OpenOrgChat A6 Community in the #OpenOrg is folks coming together to collaborate on the org's mission. Hopefully there is some passion about that mission. It's folks working with a spirit of service, to drive common success.
— Thomas Cameron (@thomasdcameron) January 18, 2018
#OpenOrgChat A6 Community is important because you go from being on an island if you're constrained to a small team, to sailing together when you can rely upon the strength of the greater community. Many eyes makes all bugs shallow.
— Thomas Cameron (@thomasdcameron) January 18, 2018
A6.1: When looking at the #OpenSource community one thing really stands out: transparency. This incredibly important aspect makes it possible for everyone to see what’s happening within a project, and also helps others when looking for answers. #OpenOrgChat
— Jonas Rosland (@jonasrosland) January 18, 2018
A6.2: By having open channels for communication and collaboration in a community, the members can learn from each other and grow as individuals, as well as support one another in times of need. #OpenOrgChat
— Jonas Rosland (@jonasrosland) January 18, 2018
A6. #communities drive adoption and improvement #openorgchat
— Angela Robertson (@ARobertson98) January 18, 2018
A6: I <3 community personally because it is a bunch of slightly "weird" people who are brilliant in their own ways. And it makes me feel normal and welcome. My personal opinion :) #OpenOrgChat
— Jen Kelchner (@JenKelchner) January 18, 2018
A6: A bunch of people who decide they want to interact with each other to accomplish something or because they share a common belief/purpose. #OpenOrgChat The more community you have, the more likely sh*t gets done. https://t.co/7sAdI1cWLH
— Emily Stancil (@EmilyStancil) January 18, 2018
A6: A community is people who work together and have a shared purpose. It's important because we all want to belong and contribute. Enhance by connecting people to each other and a vision to work toward. #OpenOrgChat
— Rebecca Fernandez (@ruhbehka) January 18, 2018
Q7: What do you find is most difficult for people to understand about working openly?
A7: WIIFM - What’s In It For Me? Working openly represents a loss of control for some people. Showing them what they get in return for being open is the key. #OpenOrgChat
— Guy Martin (@guyma) January 18, 2018
A7: People freeze up when hearing the word “Open”. It doesn’t mean a free for all or just a distributed leadership structures. It is a set of values & behaviors. #OpenOrgChat pic.twitter.com/b9MUDkVzRZ
— Jen Kelchner (@JenKelchner) January 18, 2018
A7: Open doesn’t always mean everyone always gets a vote. There are situations where being transparent, inclusive, and collaborative, still requires decisions that are unpopular. Sometimes tough decisions have to be made. #OpenOrgChat
— tomben (@tomben) January 18, 2018
A7: Being transparent about your thoughts seems to be disconnected from the idea that there isn’t consequences with how you say it, what you share or with whom you share it. Not everyone understands the cause and effect of their words. #OpenOrgChat
— Jen Krieger (@mrry550) January 18, 2018
A7. People perceive open as not getting things done. Not true. #openorgchat
— Angela Robertson (@ARobertson98) January 18, 2018
A7: Fear cripples them at first because change is personal. And they worry about how much they might be “exposed” out in the wild of the Open. #OpenOrgChat pic.twitter.com/vFDuaZBsD8
— Jen Kelchner (@JenKelchner) January 18, 2018
A7: This may sound bad, but I believe lots of folks opt to not be open b/c they don't see how it benefits them if they are. Often times, they've not been incentivized to be open. #OpenOrgChat https://t.co/G2PGx1W0KV
— Emily Stancil (@EmilyStancil) January 18, 2018
A7: Helping them know the "values" of Open helps. Too bad someone hasn't written definitions and explainers for those behaviors.... Oh wait...#TheOpenOrg did! #OpenOrgChat
— Jen Kelchner (@JenKelchner) January 18, 2018
#openorgchat A7: There's an, inevitable, expectation of collaboration when you start working openly. This scares ppl because they feel they're on the spot. Fear of failure, fear of collaboration, fear of the unknowns. If we're on our own, we can silently pretend nothing happened
— flaper87 @ ?? (@flaper87) January 18, 2018
Q8: Authors, why did you contribute to #TheOpenOrg Workbook? Readers, how do you imagine you'll use #TheOpenOrg Workbook with your colleagues and teammates?
A8: As a community person, sharing stories is what I love to do. As someone from a majority group, I also feel it’s a moral responsibility to share knowledge with others. I also love the interplay of people discussing & questioning ideas. #OpenOrgChat
— Guy Martin (@guyma) January 18, 2018
A8: I contributed because #1 Everyone needs to understand how to do this no matter their role or level. Personal gains. Period. #OpenOrgChat
— Jen Kelchner (@JenKelchner) January 18, 2018
A8: I had already gathered the data for other purposes, when I saw the invitation to contribute. It looked like a great opportunity to provide quantifiable data that being open works and opportunity to celebrate a success story from teams I work with. #OpenOrgChat
— tomben (@tomben) January 18, 2018
A8: I had already gathered the data for other purposes, when I saw the invitation to contribute. It looked like a great opportunity to provide quantifiable data that being open works and opportunity to celebrate a success story from teams I work with. #OpenOrgChat
— tomben (@tomben) January 18, 2018
A8: I contributed #2 because of the value it brings me to collaborate with amazing, awesome smart like minded people. #OpenOrgChat
— Jen Kelchner (@JenKelchner) January 18, 2018
A8. Sharing my story was a way for me to start a conversation and learn from others. #OpenOrgChat
— Angela Robertson (@ARobertson98) January 18, 2018
#OpenOrgChat A8 I see using this in team meetings to reiterate our use of the #OpenOrg principals.
— Thomas Cameron (@thomasdcameron) January 18, 2018
A8: As a reader, it will help me hold myself accountable to really being open. Also, it will be nice to have something to refer back to and remind myself of things I should be thinking about and doing #OpenOrgChat https://t.co/7AH7vopMly
— Emily Stancil (@EmilyStancil) January 18, 2018
A8: For us, it was another step towards more openness as a company. Our team @metasfresh wanted to share experiences we made on our journey of working openly. We hope that our example can also help other companies to follow that path. #OpenOrgChat
— Mark Krake (@markkrake) January 18, 2018
Q9: What additional resources do you recommend others use to catalyze beneficial changes to their organizational cultures? What do you wish existed to help your teams become more open?
A9: I always recommend my friend & colleague @jonobacon’s book ‘Art of Community.’ Also, @AmyCEdmondson’s work on psychological safety is a great resource. I want a magic button to get people past the FUD. ?#OpenOrgChat
— Guy Martin (@guyma) January 18, 2018
A9: My case study was about using inner source techniques, so I’m going to point people to https://t.co/xZ85Q8pU5T. They are doing some good work in trying to document patterns for open collaboration within enterprises. #OpenOrgChat
— tomben (@tomben) January 18, 2018
#OpenOrgChat A9 There are tons of #OpenOrg blogs, articles, and a community built around the practice. Jump on in, the water's fine! Participate, don't just consume. Your ideas are valuable, we want to hear from you!
— Thomas Cameron (@thomasdcameron) January 18, 2018
Q9: My mainstay has always been https://t.co/hbZaU9lJxX They have free resources on their website, and the best tagline - “Everyone is responsible for contributing to the success of the organization.” Makes me want to fist pump in the air every time! #openorgchat @Management30
— Jen Krieger (@mrry550) January 18, 2018
A9.1: I wish I had known about all these amazing open source communities and individuals who love to share their story, it’s incredibly valuable to learn from history and not repeat the same mistakes that someone else has already gone through. #OpenOrgChat
— Jonas Rosland (@jonasrosland) January 18, 2018
Q9: Would recommend "Nonviolent Communication" by Marshall Rosenberg. Helps provide communication tools that help build trust and respect. #OpenOrgChat https://t.co/pwso3MsWYe
— Emily Stancil (@EmilyStancil) January 18, 2018
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