How to become a team that learns

Georg SorstCTO FINDOLOGIC

We build software

Every project is a new challenge

Unclear requirements

New technologies

We need to learn all the time

Do you work in a team?

Can you ask questions?

Can you give feedback?

Can you take risks?

Or just get the job done?

Feeling safe?

NO ONE WANTS TO LOOK:

IGNORANT

INCOMPETENT

INTRUSIVE

NEGATIVE

Thanks to Amy C. Edmondson, Harvard Business School

NO ONE WANTS TO LOOK:

IGNORANT

INCOMPETENT

INTRUSIVE

NEGATIVE

IT’S EASY TO MANAGE!

DON’T ASK QUESTIONS

DON’T ADMIT WEAKNESS OR MISTAKE

DON’T OFFER IDEAS

DON’T CRITIQUE THE STATUS QUO

Thanks to Amy C. Edmondson, Harvard Business School

Psychological Safety

Psychological safety is a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes.

Psychological Safety↓

?↓

Better results

Psychological Safety↓

More learning↓

Better results

Not execution, but learning challenge

Learning is not a goal, but a process

No psychological safety

No constructive feedback

No questions

No learning

Everyone on their own

According to Google:

But how?

Positive experiences

↓

Time

↓

Trust

↓

Psychological Safety

Lead by example

1. Acknowledge your own fallibility

2. Ask questions, modell curiosity

3. Foster collaboration

4. Emphasize excellence

5. Explain your decisions

6. Include team in decision making

7. Be available and welcoming

8. Be supportive and coaching-oriented

9. Engage in personal conversation

10. Spread the love

Is it a matter of finding the right point on a balance beam?

PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY

ACCOUNTABILITY

Psychological Safety vs. Accountability?

Thanks to Amy C. Edmondson, Harvard Business School

Clear, compelling team goal

Create a better product together

Everyone contributes to success

Experience success

Fail often

Fail controlled

Learn from failure

high

lowlow high

MOTIVATION & ACCOUNTABILITY

PSYC

HO

LOG

ICA

L SA

FETY

Apathy Zone

Comfort Zone Learning Zone

Anxiety Zone

Thanks to Amy C. Edmondson, Harvard Business School

Scrum

Planning Poker

Give feedback

Discuss ideas

Scrum Master

Enable team to succeed

Code Reviews, XP

Work together

Learn together

Build trust

Retrospektive

This is a safe place

THANKS

g.sorst@findologic.com@piefke_schorsch