What are the metrics of success for your organization? The bottom line? Surpassing sales quota? An elevation in worship attendance?<\/p>\n
What if the metrics we have created for our organizations put undue and unreasonable pressure on our employees to perform at an unreachable capacity? What if we have demanded so much of our staff based on an unrealistic job description that we are missing out on their true potential, which might lead to our organization thriving?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These are the kinds of questions that Kegan and Lahey ask in their book, An Everyone Culture<\/em>. Focusing on organizational psychology, the authors examine the common mistakes that leaders make with the widely accepted practices of employee development that fall short of theirs and the organization\u2019s potential. Ultimately, their goal is for companies to rebrand themselves as Deliberately Developmental Organization (DDO). They paint a pretty remarkable image of possibility, \u201cImagine so valuing the importance of developing people\u2019s capabilities that you design a culture that itself immersively sweeps every member of the organization into an ongoing developmental journey in the course of working every day. Imagine making the organization itself–and not separate, extra benefits–the incubator of capability.\u201d[1]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n To make this conceptionally different organization a reality, the authors lay out the critical features necessary to attain a DDO, including taking the concepts to scale for everyone in the organization to engage, deliberately and repetitively nurture this culture within your business practices and individual development, and cultivating personal vulnerability to identify one\u2019s blind spots.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As I reflect on my church\u2019s capacity to be a DDO, several aspects of our culture give me encouragement that we are heading in the right direction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n First, I try to take a coach approach to leadership, asking questions in response to my staff\u2019s challenges and inquiries instead of giving them my solution. Additionally, each staff person develops their own strategic S.M.A.R.T. goals, meeting with me each month to discuss where they are, the challenges they are facing, and the things we can celebrate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Second, relational development among the staff is one of our priorities. Once per month, our entire team, including the facility management staff, gather for a lunch that has one significant rule, no work talk is allowed. Once every other month, our staff spend half a day together, engaging in a variety of activities, which has included rock climbing, TopGolf, a manny and peddy day, and so on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Third, I have tried to cultivate a collaborative work environment. The goal is not to let anyone feel like they are working on an island unto themselves. We attempt this in three deliberate ways:<\/span><\/p>\n As Kegan and Lahey desire to see organizations empower their employees to have a sense of responsibility and autonomy in their personal and professional development, this book is an inspirational resource for those seeking to change their culture in practical ways.<\/p>\n\n