The Open Way

The Open Way

Over the last six months I’ve begun to understand what it means to be part of an open org. In this article I’ll outline some of the more key points and benefits to having an open org but in the end it is the hundreds of tiny interactions that breath life into the idea. Hopefully, after reading this you get a feel for what it’s like to work the open way and why now more than ever it is important for all of us to learn a better way of working and communicating with each other. Try applying these principles even at an individual team level. If you do, you can get the ball rolling toward more open communication between individuals but also teams, a meritocratic work environment that promotes fairness and a sense of belonging and acceptance for everyone at your company.

The following traits are all characteristics of an open organization. They flow from the bottom up through management and create a foundation for open culture to take root. Focus on promoting these traits at an individual level and as always set the example.  

Attitude

It is difficult to describe transitioning into an open org but if I had to put it into words I would say it’s about acclimating to compassion based honesty. I never particularly liked the excuse “I’m only being honest” it usually rhymes with “I’m only being honest right NOW because it serves my point of view.”  

A true open org takes honesty and uses it as it should be used, to enable quicker, cleaner communication between people working together to a common goal. To that end everyone feels invested and responsible not only for accomplishing our goals but also in each other. That I believe is the key difference between types of honesty. One is selective and self serving and the other is meritocratic, without ego and rooted in compassion.

Another, surprising and refreshing aspect of the open org is the feeling of accessibility to anyone in the company. It seems everyone is happy to make time for you even if you’re a random email that day. In fact I think that people feed off the spirit of collaboration and enjoy it when people reach out to enlist their advice or expertise even when it wasn’t part of their calendar that day.

Speed

There is a method employed in almost every modern military called the “decentralized command structure.” It stems from the realization that no matter how competent or informed the leadership may be it is impossible for them to react quickly and dynamically from afar. So as a result, local commanders are given permission to make their own decisions while on missions and are trained to do so effectively and decisively.  

The modern company is no different and modern open org leaders know this. They hire people who don’t hesitate to make decisions based on their knowledge and managers empower and support them to do so. Ideas come from the field (front lines) because they are closest to the actual reality of the situation. It’s on leadership to then equip and support those decisions.

This also leaves more time for leadership to keep the foundations of the organization strong and make sure that we are on the right path from a strategic level. Once that path is set though taking each step along it is the responsibility of everyone and we move down that path as a one team.

Creativity

Going along with the ability to make quick decisions is the necessity to be creative in solving those problems. Creativity is a function of two things: open mindedness and the courage to fail in order to succeed. Like the old basketball saying goes: “you miss all the shots you don’t take.” However, I’d also add that not taking shots also doesn’t make you any better of a shooter.

The same philosophy exists in startups, but also in an open org where everyone is responsible for running their own section of the business. In many ways you hire for this, picking people who are imaginative and problem solvers by nature but you can also encourage it. Setting goals but leaving the how open ended both fosters creativity and shows faith in the agency of individual employees.

Heart

It can be very comfortable to be told what to do and how to do it. It alleviates one from responsibility over success and insulates them from the task of problem solving complicated issues. So you’re going to need heart and no small dose of toughness to make it through a workday where you are responsible for things when they go right but also when they don’t.

The other side of failure though (especially failing fast) is learning and growth. Every setback builds competency if taken as a learning opportunity and adds to the intellectual capital of a company's employees. When paired with open collaboration and honesty such experiences are shared without pride getting in the way of progress and the lessons learned and the experience gained isn’t isolated to individuals.

Execution

Grit and determination come with a certain amount of faith in oneself and if part of a team, each other. On top of that though nothing is more important than having a “why” that drives you to push that extra mile past the finish line. That starts with answering the question of “why” for both you as an individual but also the company as a whole.

For my open org the why is baked into everything we do. We want to make open source software the premiere software in the world. We know that by doing that everyone wins and can benefit from the results. So we work a little later, focus a little harder, and take on ever more difficult tasks and ambitious goals.

Optimism

If you’ve ever worked with someone who is a pessimistic person you’ll find that it is a bit like trying to push a pile of ropes up a hill to work with them. By the way, pessimists are not to be confused with pragmatists. There is nothing wrong with stating things as you see them. The problem comes with the inaction and resigned spirit of not believing you can solve the problems facing you or make your future brighter than your present.

You have to keep your head up and choose to believe that there is a way out of every box, a solution to every puzzle, it is just a matter of finding it. Do that and you’ll eventually find the solutions you are looking for and take another step toward achieving that “why” you share with everyone.