An Everyone Culture: Becoming a Deliberately Developmental Organization

by Robert Kegan, Lisa Laskow Lahey, Matthew L. Miller, Andy Fleming, Deborah Helsing Narrated by Stephen R. Thorne

Overview

What if a company did everything in its power to create a culture in which everyone could overcome their own internal barriers to change and use errors and vulnerabilities as prime opportunities for personal and company growth?



Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey have found and studied such companies-Deliberately Developmental Organizations. A DDO is organized around the conviction that organizations will best prosper when they are more deeply aligned with people's strongest motive, which is to grow. This means going beyond consigning "people development" to high-potential programs, executive coaching, or once-a-year off-sites. It means fashioning an organizational culture in which support of people's development is woven into the daily fabric of working life and the company's regular operations, daily routines, and conversations.



An Everyone Culture dives deep into the worlds of three leading companies that embody this breakthrough approach. It reveals the design principles, concrete practices, and underlying science at the heart of DDOs-from their disciplined approach to giving feedback, to how they use meetings, to the distinctive way that managers and leaders define their roles.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

800-CEO-READ “Best Business Book for 2016,” Longlist

“This book speaks to the heart of what I believe: Our work environments are the perfect learning laboratories. Our focus needs to not just be on individual learning, but also on building the processes, tools, and organizational system for learning to take place—and stick.” — Melissa Daimler, Senior Vice President, Talent Acquisition and Development, WeWork

“If you want to stay on the cutting edge of how our culture thinks about work, you might browse Rob Kegan and Lisa Lahey's latest book, An Everyone Culture: Becoming a Deliberately Developmental Organization, which will urge you to measure the meaning of your work not by how much you like or value it, but by how much it makes you grow up, and past the edge of your current limits.” — The Advertiser (Australia)

“Could it be that workplaces can become the ultimate forum to help people become greater than they think possible? Read this book to find out.” — Conscious Company Magazine

“This book is as much about realizing organisational potential, as it is about realizing human potential. No business leader, at any level, should miss this one.” — Fin24 (South Africa)

“Kegan and Laskow thoroughly analyze what they perceive to be the benefits of radical transparency through case studies on hedge fund giant Bridgewater, ecommerce company Next Jump, and real estate company Decurion.” — Business Insider (businessinsider.com), Summer Reading List

“Kegan and Lahey (Harvard Univ.) incorporate adult-developmental theory to enhance organizational profitability, improve honesty in communications, reduce political maneuvering, and increase solutions to intractable problems.” — Choice magazine

“Rather than seeking competitive advantage in a company’s products or strategy…Kegan, Lahey, and their colleagues believe an edge can be found in the ability of corporations to develop adults as humans.…they develop the argument by parachuting us into three existing DDOs, all of which serve as highly effective, day-in-the-life case studies.” — strategy+business magazine

“Some fascinating ideas about how to create an organizational culture that fits the 21st century.” — Inc.

“Their jottings and anecdotes draw you in, to join them in peering over the edge of what might just be a management revolution.” — Forbes

“A bold approach, one that requires a longer view of success and the patience to accept stumbles… any person and any company can learn from the thinking behind the DDO concept.” — Chicago Tribune

“The lessons from those companies combined with the theory of Kegan and Lahey provide an exciting portrait of what’s possible, and hopefully what’s coming, in the workplace.” — 800 CEO READ

“Kegan and Lahey provide a fundamental look into a different type of organization that is both challenging and rewarding…an approachable and easy read that's perfect for anyone interested in learning about an alternative take on people development and organizational culture.” — TD magazine (Association for Talent Development)

ADVANCE PRAISE for An Everyone Culture:

Dominic Barton, Global Managing Director, McKinsey & Company—
“An Everyone Culture is founded upon a simple yet powerful insight: that the best way to unleash an organization’s power is to realize the full potential of its individual employees. Kegan and Lahey highlight companies that focus on the continuous development of all employees and explain the steps needed to build this kind of ‘deliberately developmental’ culture. In a world that’s changing faster than ever, and where Millennials are demanding jobs with development opportunities, leaders cannot afford to miss this book.”

Gary Hamel, professor, London Business School—
“An Everyone Culture is the most provocative recasting of human and organizational potential since the advent of the ‘learning organization.’ It will transform how you think about work and workplace culture in the twenty-first century.”

Peter M. Senge, senior lecturer, MIT; founding chair, Society for Organizational Learning—
“Everyone talks about ‘growing our people,’ but what if this were the true strategic core of an enterprise? By connecting the emerging science of human development to the art of building a successful business, Kegan and Lahey have created the book that developmentally oriented managers have long been waiting for.”

Rajeev Vasudeva, CEO, Egon Zehnder—
“Unleashing people’s potential is the biggest leadership opportunity and challenge of the twenty-first century. Kegan and Lahey convincingly argue that winning companies need to have a holistic approach to development that spans individuals, teams, and the organization—working relentlessly to realize the potential of each and every employee. This book is a must-read for all leaders trying to find practical ways to unlock the potential of an entire organization.”

Howard Gardner, professor, Harvard Graduate School of Education—
“Our language and our experience suggest two distinct aspirations: how adults should develop, and what makes organizations successful over the years. This highly original book reveals deep connections between human development and organizational strength.”

Geoffrey Canada, President, Harlem Children’s Zone—
“This book should be as welcome as it is eye opening to organizational leaders. Kegan and Lahey demonstrate how workers’ search for personal development can be fused with an organization’s pursuit of better performance. This terrific book promises to usher in a new generation of workplaces of continuous personal and organizational growth.”

From the Publisher - AUDIO COMMENTARY

An Everyone Culture is founded upon a simple yet powerful insight: that the best way to unleash an organization's power is to realize the full potential of its individual employees." —Dominic Barton, Global Managing Director, McKinsey & Company

DECEMBER 2017 - AudioFile

Stephen R. Thorne captures the optimism in this invitation to make your organization a crucible for human growth instead of a place where learning is stifled and spirits are deadened. His phrasing and pacing have the energy needed to open bureaucratic minds and give hope to leaders who have become complacent or cynical about helping people grow. Using the examples of three companies, the authors explain how learning cultures are created with practices that are woven into the company’s daily operations, practices, and communication. The specific tools suggested for leaders at all levels show how growth-oriented values can be expressed during formal and informal meetings, training, and compensation or advancement structures. Delivered with consistent clarity and confidence, this is an important lesson for anyone who cares about how people can thrive in organizational settings. T.W. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171011062
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	01/31/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged

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