Interview with D?rte Deniz and Dennis Bensch about Working out Loud- On the occasion of Innogy′s DTT Community Meeting - Digital@Renewables 2020

Find out how Dennis Bensch and I learned to work more digital, visible, generous, courageous and more connected with the help of the method Working out loud. 

When did you first hear about WOL? What is your special WOL experience and key moment?

Dennis Bensch: The first time, I came across this method was through private, self-motivated research on the topic of user adoption, because of our upcoming Office 365 implementation program (now, a still running project). I asked myself, is there perhaps a method or program for people to adopt the mindset needed for best collaboration with new tools such like these. During my research I came across to a few articles about Working Out Loud. The first one I read was an article from Ragnar Heil and I thought, “hmm, what’s this, it sounds like something esoterically or spiritual” this is not for me. But later I saw WOL a couple of times again. So, I became curious and read more about the principles and the origin. That was the moment when I came across the article of Bryce Williams entitled “When will we Work Out Loud? Soon!” (written in 2010). I ended up reading a lot of articles and listening to podcasts until I was sure, that I need to try it out… However, I was wondering when I should best do it, as I did not want to cancel it after a few weeks. The birth of my daughter was imminent, and I was wondering if that was the right time or not. That was the reason when I first wrote to John Stepper, whom I didn’t know until then. I immediately got a great response. He advised me to first focus on my family but if I would like to do something to improve my personal or business skills in this time I could do so. After spending some time thinking about it, I decided to give it a try. First of all, I created a new record in the Circle Finder of Leonid Lezner and posted it to the different social media platforms. After a few days the circle was ready to start. Since then I had wonderful experiences with the circle members, and I gained deeper understanding what WOL means and that’s what drives me to continue my journey with WOL.I don’t have a specific key moment that impressed me but it is the whole experience. I specifically enjoy the fact, that I’ve met a lot of people since I started with my researches about WOL. Even though I mostly met people virtually, it doesn’t matter from which country they are, or what positions they have, how old they are, or which gender or material status. It feels like you have known them since a long time and you could think they are sitting right next to you in the next office.

D?rte Deniz: A very good friend of mine who worked for Merck told me about this method. I became very curious about WOL because I was looking for more fulfillment in my professional life. I wanted to be like a bird in a flock, but I felt like a bird in a cage. That was the reason why I started to connect with colleagues with the same agile and open mindset and I became a member of our Siemens WOL nucleus community team. The Siemens core WOL cross company team as well as the whole WOL community really inspired me all the way and I really want to say thank you to all for sharing and growing together #wolcommunity. And I also share your experience with John Stepper, Sabine Kluge and Katharina Krentz, who immediately answered my questions and supported me throughout my learning journey. For me it was so surprising and astonishing to receive so much support and generosity from people I did not know before. After I finished my first circle, I learned so much that I wanted to share this experience with WOL and I also wanted to encourage more colleagues and friends to start their own personal learning journey. I understood that the digital transformation offers the opportunity and chance for self-determined and self-organized work, to break down barriers and to take responsibility – like ownership culture. I also started to comprehend that the digital transformation means not only new disruptive tools, apps and technologies but also requires a personal transformation. WOL created for me real synergies and helped me to generate more output by taking advantage of the collective intelligence. Finally, I was convinced that “the whole is more than the sum of its parts” (Aristoteles). A special moment was when I learnt that a foreign person on the other side of the world irrespective of gender, culture, age or profession had something in common with me and this fact allowed me to build a bridge with him easily. (Week 5: 50 Facts about me). Through my WOL experience I realized that my vocation was to connect (with) people and different cultures, which I subconsciously and passionately always enjoyed. 

What motivates you personally?

Dennis Bensch: The principles. They guided me already before I got to know the method. For example, not only in my job I try to be as clear, transparent and direct with my colleagues and clients. To give information is more important than to hold it back and sharing my knowledge with others. Exchanging information regarding my job, my interests and to learn endless new things. That would be beneficial for all. This is my greatest desire, as I’m convinced, that the 5 principles (Relationships, Generosity, Visible work, Purposeful Discovery, Growth Mindset) will support us in our daily work especially in the digital age. That is why I share these experiences with my colleagues and acquaintances as well. That was also the reason, why I’ve written an article about how WOL helps you and your employer: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/whats-me-my-employer-dennis-bensch/

D?rte Deniz: The fact that WOL connects and empowers people by breaking down barriers. The world becomes smaller as we all can connect and work in a network. The peer coaching method allowed me to find solutions easier for complex challenges by benefiting from collective intelligence and diverse perspectives and to find a purpose that really motivates me even more.

For me WOL can be a first step to:

1. Spread an open and generous approach to collaboration

2. Share how networks provide orientation and support in times when “change is the new constant”

3. Develop from a knowledge-oriented to a learning organization and overcome “silo thinking” and “knowledge is power”

4. Develop digital skills and a digital identity

After joining my first circle I already learned so much, I discovered the power of the swarm intelligence and that diversity really matters. I could improve my personal skills of self-organization, work more visible and digital, receive and give multi-perspective feedback, listen more carefully, judge less and finally I work cross-functionally in a great inspiring network. And my lifelong learning journey will continue because it makes so much fun to learn and grow together.

What is your wish for the future?

Dennis Bensch: I would like to help and support my employer and colleagues, and this includes my network and the community with the method of Working Out Loud. I know, that there is much more potential in our company to make use of this method. I would like to share my knowledge and have the opportunity to grow together with the company. I would like to see that my company and colleagues benefit from these principles and the method/ that is why I like to continue to spread the word and mindset of Working out loud.

D?rte Deniz: I hope that we will develop our organizations and even our society to a learning organization. Additionally, I wish that we (re-)learn to trust each other more, that we become more courageous and that we establish a positive feedback and failure culture where we stop finger pointing at someone who did something wrong. For me, Co-Creation, Co-Sharing, Co-Learning is a central element for the success of the digital transformation. To develop this #growthmindset it requires a shift from old to new where we share instead of keeping knowledge as power. As we live in the age of information, knowledge is everywhere available 24/7. In order to understand and handle the overflood of information, we need a reliable and strong network. One more of my personal founding principles of WOL is diversity. I firmly believe that diversity is a great treasure and that it can provide an answer to our complex (VUCA) world. I see evidence of this everywhere – at work, in nature and in my family. If we are able to unfold the potential of the collective intelligence, we will develop real innovative power and energy.

Over the long term, I wish that WOL nurture more and more a positive culture change, as we evolve

? From control to trust

? From top-down directions to individual and collective responsibility

? From traditional hierarchical way of working to networks/new ways of working

? From an individual viewpoint to a multi-perspective one

 How Aldi Süd and Siemens introduced WOL?

D?rte Deniz: Our WOL Core team is organized as a grassroot initiative with highly motivated self-organized colleagues across all Siemens companies since 2017. As volunteers we invest extra hours in this kind of “networking” work. Additionally, we get light and support from many other engaged colleagues from all hierarchies. In our WOL community in Yammer we have around more than 950 members and more than 115 Circles already started. As we don′t count any longer our Circles it states an estimated figure. In the past we already organized 3 Working out Loud Barcamps in Munich, in Nuremburg and one in Essen. The WOL Community is growing and growing. I′m really looking forward what comes next.

Dennis Bensch: I think, I tried another approach, additionally to the grassroots movement in the company, which is normal for starting with WOL until you got the green light from the top. When we started with the preparations of the roll out of the Microsoft 365 services first with Microsoft Teams, I shared with my colleagues the idea of openness, transparency, agile and visible work and to make contributions to our colleagues. We decided to follow the principles of working out loud. So we tried to make these principles visible in our daily work and to grow together. We didn't start any circle until now, but we really would like to. I put my idea last year to our now retired idea management (last chance, it ran for the last day), after 6 month I got the message, that they like my idea and accepted it. But until now I don't have any budget or official team to start WOL officially at the international location of ALDI. There are a few stakeholders supporting to start a grassroot movement. I've started a community of interests, where I connected with curious colleagues. At our German Corporate Unit, they started WOL within the ALDI Academy. First leaders could try out WOL in circles. I found that information on Twitter first, because of the connected community of WOL. I've started to get in contact with the colleagues there and they opened me so many doors. For example, I met Katharina Krentz there for my first time and they invited me to be a guest of their WOL Kick-off with Katharina. Last days I got a call from our HR department, they asked me to support WOL for onboarding new colleagues at ALDI, if they really would like to implement this option. And additionally, they asked me to give an interview. What I would like to say is, it takes time but it's an interesting process to see the change of mindset of the people who get in touch with WOL.

Special Thanks to Christiane von Flotow for your invitation, thanks to Manuel Wyszynski for connecting us and thanks to Dennis Bensch for Co-Facilitating with me. Here you find Christianes article about the Digital Transformation Community event: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/our-community-meeting-goes-online-christiane-von-flotow/