Twelve Patterns of Work for the Knowledge Economy

2019 Twelve patterns of work for the knowledge economy.

Ben Edwards and Sol Sender Twelve Patterns 3 For businesses that learn, adapt and create.

Third Edition Introduction 5

As industrial-era management practices fail, ideas Our inspiration is A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, about the future of work abound. Start-up culture is Construction. Published in 1977 by Christopher redefining how to launch products and make markets. Alexander, Sara Ishikawa and Murray Silverstein, Gig-economy workers are abandoning traditional the book describes a series of architectural pat- employment for the risks and rewards of project-by- terns for how to plan and build cities, neighborhoods, project labor. The makers movement is reviving the housing complexes, buildings and rooms. “The value and meaning humans find in craft. [architectural] languages which people have today,” Underlying and connecting these practices is a new they write, “are so brutal, and so fragmented, that language of work. This emerging language describes a most people no longer have any language to speak new kind of organization and a new era of productivity. of at all—and what they do have is not based on The twelve patterns of work contained in this human, or natural considerations.” booklet span leadership, teams and individuals. Taken We would argue that the same is true today for independently, none of these ideas are novel. We think how work is performed—and that we must search their value lies in understanding how they fit together for the same remedy. It seems unthinkable to us that, as a coherent philosophy of work. with our wealth of technology and expertise, we can- These patterns are not intended to be exhaustive. not describe work—our primary past time—in ways Nor are they meant to be prescriptive. Just as languages that put humans and our needs at the center. sustain many dialects, different organizations will interpret and apply these patterns in different ways. Like learning a language, the goal should be greater —Ben Edwards & Sol Sender fluency through practice. What that means will differ from individual to individual, from team to team and from venture to venture. That said, we hope these patterns provide a starting point for thinking about how a knowledge-economy organization should function. We have also included workspace patterns. The workspace (whether physical, virtual or mental) is where knowledge is created. We can design it in ways that impede our ability to speak the new language of work. We can also design it in ways that encourage our language to thrive and spread. 7

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Leaders Leaders 9

Giving Purpose As societies become wealthier, we satisfy our material needs and are drawn to higher goals. Our highest need is to live lives that have meaning and purpose. The best leaders understand this, and work to give purpose to the teams and organizations they lead. A shared purpose—the enduring value a company delivers in the world—is an organization’s most fundamental source of sustained performance. It motivates and engages us—as workers, as customers, and as investors. It binds us together in a common cause. It guides our choices. It encourages us to inno- vate and grow. Giving purpose requires courage and grit. Sometimes, bureaucracy overwhelms an organization. Sometimes, the drive for profit grows so strong that it erodes the shared purpose, weakening the bond with workers and with customers. Many leaders declare a purpose. Authentic leaders live it, giving purpose through their behavior and actions. Leaders 11

Servant Leadership There are two ways to get water flowing faster through a pipe: add pressure, or remove obstacles. Those who lead through fear apply pressure. Servant leaders remove obstacles. Fear weakens initiative, the appetite for failure and therefore growth. Servant leadership better supports businesses that learn, adapt and create. The servant leader’s primary motivation is neither power nor money, but to put themselves in the service of the people and the organizations they lead. By listening and observing, the servant leader identifies obstacles to growth—in individuals, in teams and in the organization. Sometimes coaching is enough to remove these obstacles. Sometimes deeper action is needed—to add missing skills or technology, for example, or remove harmful behaviors. “It’s their team. I think that’s one of the first Removing obstacles makes space for growth. things you have to consider as a coach.… They have to take ownership of it. As coaches, When there is also a shared purpose, individuals and our job is to nudge them in the right direction, guide them, but we don’t control them. They teams take it upon themselves to improve the organ- determine their own fate.” ization’s performance. Steve Kerr Head Coach, Golden State Warriors

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Teams Teams 15

Autonomy An autonomous team is one that is wholly and independently capable of performing its work. There are no outside forces blocking an autonomous team’s progress. There is no need for approvals from other parts of the organization. The team has all the skills needed to pursue its strategy and vision. The ideal size of the autonomous team is 5–7 people and should never be larger than 12. Organizations achieve scale through multiple teams that are loosely coupled but tightly aligned—coordinated through shared goals, but not dependent on each other for their work. The autonomous team has a shared understanding of quality. These standards are set by the team itself, not dictated from on high. Outside feedback—from stakeholders, sponsors and company leaders— is accepted, integrated and prioritized according to the team’s assessment of customer need. Teams 17

Continuous Improvement The continuous improvement of the work product is the goal of the autonomous team. It is achieved through the regular delivery of new work, the measurement and testing of that work, and ongoing iterations to refine and enhance what has been delivered. Continuous improvement stands opposed to “perfection”, which is highly subjective, unpredictable, and prone to lengthy delays that block testing and customer feedback. “Better” and “good enough” are the rallying cries of the highly functioning autonomous team. The continuous improvement of productivity is also the goal of the team. Every cycle of work is an “There are many things one doesn't understand and therefore, we ask them ‘why don’t you opportunity to improve collaboration through better just go ahead and take action; try to do something?’ You realize how little you know and consensus-building, better sizing of tasks, and better you face your own failures and you simply can correct those failures and redo it again.…So communication. This evolution of the team’s workflow by constant improvement, or, should I say, the improvement based upon action, one can rise is measured, celebrated, and communicated to the to the higher level of practice and knowledge.” larger organization. Fujio Cho, Honorary Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation

Quoted in The Toyota Way, Jeffrey Liker, 2004 Teams 19

Shared Vision Teams that commit to continuous improvement make frequent, incremental changes. This gives them more opportunities to learn, and adjust course. It can also invite aimless wandering. Teams need a compelling vision of where they are going in the long run—a northstar inspired by the company’s shared purpose that helps to guide their way. The northstar vision takes different forms. Words can paint a vivid picture. A well-made video has the power to inspire and motivate. Prototypes can be tested

“Telling stories through collaboration with with customers, yielding valuable data and mitigating words and pictures is a mechanism that builds shared understanding. Stories aren’t the re- risk before the team commits to expensive execution. quirements; they’re discussions about solving problems for our organization, our customers, The most important requirement is that the vision and our users that lead to agreements on what to build.” is shared: everyone needed to build the product should Jeff Patton help create the vision too. A day spent mapping the User Story Mapping: Discover the Whole Story, Build the Right Product, 2014 experience is an effective way to accomplish this. The team leaves with a joint understanding of the desired customer experience, what it will take to build it and— most valuably—a shared belief and a collective will to get the work done. Teams 21

Transparency Highly functioning teams are transparent with each other: they describe what they are working on daily; they feel safe to share problems as they arise; they share what it will take to get work done and by when; they are generous with the foundations of their expertise. At the end of projects, they look back together—to identify opportunities for improving team productivity and flow. Trust accelerates productivity; transparency is the essential ingredient. Highly functioning teams are also transparent with their stakeholders and sponsors. They make commitments at the beginning of projects; they share incremental work product as it comes to life. Stakeholders may attend daily team meetings, but effective sponsors and leaders empower the team by trusting the delivery cadence;

“Organizational theorists Robert Blake and micro-management compromises team autonomy. Jane Mouton examined NASA’s findings on the human factors involved in airline accidents. The most highly functioning companies are also NASA researchers had placed existing cockpit crews—pilot, copilot, navigator—in flight transparent with—and trusted by—their customers. simulators and tested them to see how they would respond during the crucial 30 to 45 This highly valued state is impossible without an internal seconds between the first sign of a potential accident and the moment it would occur. culture of trust and transparency. The stereotypical take-charge ‘flyboy’ pilots, who acted immediately on their gut instincts, made the wrong decisions far more often than the more open, inclusive pilots who said to their crews, in effect, ‘We’ve got a problem. How do you read it?’ before choosing a course of action.” James O’Toole and Warren Bennis A Culture of Candor, Harvard Business Review, June 2009 23

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Individuals Individuals 25

Committing to Your Team The team is the primary unit of productivity in the knowledge economy. And in order for that unit to thrive, individuals must commit to their team. Time is the most fundamental form of commitment. This is because the team is dedicated to measuring and improving its productivity and predicting its performance. Team members who don’t follow through on their time commitments introduce unpredictability (“I had to work on another project”) and breed mistrust (“I can’t depend on you”). Place is another form of commitment. Co-located teams are dedicated to working with each other side- by-side. Recognizing that the “one table” model is more powerful than virtual collaboration, individual producers commit to being at the table at prescribed and agreed The New Zealand rugby team performing the upon moments of peak productivity. If co-location is not Haka—a traditional Maori war dance—before the final of the Hong Kong sevens tournament possible, frequent or “always-on” video communication in April 2014. is the next best solution. They went on to beat England 26-7. Transparency (p. 21) is an essential form of commitment, as is sharing your craft( p. 29). Individuals 27

Entrepreneurial Mindset Innovation is a frame of mind. The opportunity to create new value for the customer and the company inspires and fuels the healthy individual producer. The team is a platform for realizing their ideas and ambitions. The team member nurtures the entrepreneurial mindset of their peers with a “yes, and” stance that affirms and evolves ideas into innovations. Corporate hierarchy is the enemy of the entrepreneurial mindset. It imagines that innovation is driven from the top downward; this takes the form of grand ideas that are disconnected from the team’s insights and productivity. Sustainable innovation comes from highly functioning autonomous teams that are made up of indi- The original Matt Foley sketch at Second City starring Chris Farley, Bob Odenkirk, and vidual entrepreneur producers who recognize value Tim Meadows, 1989/90 in each other’s ideas and bring those ideas to testable “The second rule of improvisation is not only to say yes, but YES, AND. You are supposed to fruition rapidly and regularly. agree and then add something of your own. If I start a scene with ‘I can’t believe it’s so hot The servant leader protects and nurtures the in here,’ and you just say, ‘Yeah…’ we’re kind of at a standstill. But if I say, ‘I can’t believe it’s entrepreneurial mindset with permission and trust that so hot in here,’ and you say, ‘What did you expect? We’re in hell.’ Or if I say, ‘I can’t believe flows through the team to the individual producer. it’s so hot in here,’ and you say, ‘Yes, this can’t be good for the wax figures.’ Or if I say, ‘I can’t believe it’s so hot in here,’ and you say, ‘I told you we shouldn’t have crawled into this dog’s mouth,’ now we’re getting somewhere.” Tina Fey Bossypants, 2011 Individuals 29

Sharing Your Craft Highly productive teams need “T-shaped” producers: individuals who are multi-disciplinary in their mindset and skills, but who go deep in one particular area. Depth of expertise is extremely valuable to the team, but it shouldn’t hinder collaboration with peers. By sharing elements of one’s own craft with the team, overall productivity is increased. The sharing of one’s craft is an act of transparency that breeds trust. It often happens when describing a task to the team—and breaking it down. When individual producers describe in detail what it takes to get something done, they open the door to better teamwork through learning and helping. The sharing of one’s craft gives rise to teams— and companies—who learn, adapt and create.

“You’ll never know everything about anything, especially something you love.” Julia Child 31

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Workspace Workspace 33

Dynamic Space Workspace design reflects culture. It also shapes it. The design of most workspaces is fixed. Static space entrenches boundaries, encourages isolated, individual work and reinforces a fixed mindset. Dynamic space is configurable. It adapts to support new teams, new projects and different ways of working. Dynamic space fosters a culture of collaboration, learning and growth. Dynamic space allows team autonomy to flourish. Teams can build (and rebuild) their own space—an activity that strengthens team commitments and an entrepreneurial mindset. The best teams strive for continuous improvement. Space that evolves and adapts “Project teams with diverse responsibilities gather in the Vitra Design Museum Office with the team supports this mentality. to work and collaborate on a wide range of tasks. This requires appropriate interior For organizations, dynamic space is a practical spaces, whose layout and furnishings can be flexibly adapted to individual needs. requirement for an era of innovation. As product life The museum office features clearly struc- tured workplaces interspersed with room- cycles shorten, businesses must shift from an operating in-a-room settings and secluded niches to form a studio-like atmosphere that simul- mentality to problem-solving project-based work. taneously enables creative exchange and concentrated work.” Shorter real estate leases and a thriving gig economy Vitra.com reflect this more fluid landscape. Our workspaces should too. Workspace 35

The Shared Table In a knowledge economy we create value through learning. Humans learn best in teams. Yet we hire, pay and promote individuals. Our workspace design reflects this bias: we put individuals to work behind isolated desks, with desktop software that is designed for the individual author. For a better design, we must reach back to a pattern not commonly experienced since kindergarten: the shared table. The shared table is the core metaphor for how to perform work today. The table convenes the team— individuals who have committed their time and skills to solve a customer or business problem together. Team productivity and team performance is the measure of success. Technology has improved remote collaboration, but the highest-performing teams sit round a physical table. This is where the team’s knowledge can be found: on walls, on space dividers and on the tabletop itself. Every surface should be usable. The shared table is also their home base, and should communicate territory and belonging. Workspace 37

Private Space Modern workspace is open, high energy and extroverted. This is its default state: collaboration, creativity and learning thrive around the shared table. The alternate state is private space. Private space is what makes open workspace work. Noisy, open space drains energy from introverts. They need private space to recharge. Even extroverts seek out space for thinking, quiet contemplation and solitary work. Great teamwork is full of conflict: private conversations help teams nurture relationships and work through differences. Every team should have dedicated, private space: 30% of their total space is a good rule of thumb. Some space should be set aside for solitary work. Dark, enclosed spaces work well. Some should be set aside for seating for two or three apart from the team. When walls are not possible, well-chosen furniture and dividers can be used to create private and semi-private areas.

IBM Studio, Astor Place, New York, 2015 “No homogeneous room, of homegrown height, can serve a group of people well. To give a group a chance to be together, as a group, a room must also give them a chance to be alone, in one’s and two’s in the same space.”

Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa and Murray Silverstein, A Pattern Language, 1977 39

About the Authors

Ben Edwards Ben has led product, design, marketing and technology teams—as publisher of The Economist online, as head of corporate marketing at IBM, as IBM’s chief communications officer, and as a vice president of product management at PayPal. Ben is passionate about building environments in which teams can learn, and is a student of lean practices and agile methods.

Sol Sender Best known for his historic work leading the develop- ment of the Obama 08 brand identity, Sol has spent more than 20 years as a multi-disciplinary creative leader and agency executive, bridging design, technology, and strategy to drive client brand strength and business growth. His creative philosophy is focused on closing the gap between brand promise and all aspects of organizational performance. www.patternsofwork.com