Setting yourself up for failure: cultivating a culture where failure is celebrated

Slide 1

CULTIVATING A CULTURE WHERE FAILURE IS CELEBRATED @JENNAPEDERSON Setting yourself up for failure

Slide 2

@JENNAPEDERSON I’m a failure. Long-time software engineer Business owner Senior Developer Advocate at AWS I MN Tech!

Slide 3

@JENNAPEDERSON Failure is not in my vocabulary.

Slide 4

Failing since childhood @JENNAPEDERSON

Slide 5

What is failure? fail·ure | feyl-yer (noun) @JENNAPEDERSON : lack of success

Slide 6

@JENNAPEDERSON “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” — Thomas Edison

Slide 7

@JENNAPEDERSON Failure is a spectrum. AMY C. EDMONDSON - STRATEGIES FOR LEARNING FROM FAILURE - HTTPS://HBR.ORG/2011/04/STRATEGIES-FOR-LEARNING-FROM-FAILURE

Slide 8

IN CHAT @JENNAPEDERSON Share your failures.

Slide 9

Slide 10

Slide 11

Slide 12

Slide 13

Slide 14

Slide 15

Slide 16

Slide 17

Slide 18

What is culture? cul·ture | kuhl-cher (noun) @JENNAPEDERSON : the set of shared values, goals, attitudes, and practices that characterizes a group

Slide 19

@JENNAPEDERSON Failure is emotionally charged.

Slide 20

@JENNAPEDERSON Amazon Leadership Principles Customer Obsession Think Big Ownership Bias for Action Invent and Simplify Frugality Are Right, A Lot Earn Trust Learn and Be Curious Deep Dive Hire and Develop the Best Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit Insist on the Highest Standards Deliver Results HTTPS://WWW.AMAZON.JOBS/EN/PRINCIPLES

Slide 21

AMAZON LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES Customer Obsession @JENNAPEDERSON Leaders start with the customer and work backwards. They work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust. Although leaders pay attention to competitors, they obsess over customers. HTTPS://WWW.AMAZON.JOBS/EN/PRINCIPLES

Slide 22

AMAZON LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES @JENNAPEDERSON Invent and Simplify Leaders expect and require innovation and invention from their teams and always find ways to simplify. They are externally aware, look for new ideas from everywhere, and are not limited by “not invented here.” As we do new things, we accept that we may be misunderstood for long periods of time. HTTPS://WWW.AMAZON.JOBS/EN/PRINCIPLES

Slide 23

AMAZON LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES Learn and Be Curious @JENNAPEDERSON Leaders are never done learning and always seek to improve themselves. They are curious about new possibilities and act to explore them. HTTPS://WWW.AMAZON.JOBS/EN/PRINCIPLES

Slide 24

AMAZON LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES @JENNAPEDERSON Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit Leaders are obligated to respectfully challenge decisions when they disagree, even when doing so is uncomfortable or exhausting. Leaders have conviction and are tenacious. They do not compromise for the sake of social cohesion. Once a decision is determined, they commit wholly. HTTPS://WWW.AMAZON.JOBS/EN/PRINCIPLES

Slide 25

AMAZON LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES Bias for Action @JENNAPEDERSON Speed matters in business. Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study. We value calculated risk taking. HTTPS://WWW.AMAZON.JOBS/EN/PRINCIPLES

Slide 26

@JENNAPEDERSON What is psychological safety?

Slide 27

@JENNAPEDERSON What is psychological safety? When a team feels safe to engage in learning behaviors like asking for help, admitting errors, disagreeing, and trying something new without fear of negative consequences like embarrassment or punishment.

Slide 28

IN CHAT @JENNAPEDERSON What makes you feel psychologically safe at work?

Slide 29

Etsy @JENNAPEDERSON Three-Armed Sweater Award HTTPS://TWITTER.COM/RYNCHANTRESS/STATUS/806576489798004737

Slide 30

NASA @JENNAPEDERSON Lean Forward; Fail Smart Award HTTPS://TWITTER.COM/NASAPEOPLE/STATUS/562970088681521152

Slide 31

How do you learn from failure? Discovery Finding errors early and sharing them. @JENNAPEDERSON

Slide 32

Adnon Cords HTTPS://WWW.AUTOGUIDE.COM/AUTO-NEWS/2016/01/TOYOTA-PRODUCTION-JAPAN-MAY-STOP-NEXT-MONTH-DUE-TO-STEEL-SHORTAGE.HTML

Slide 33

How do you learn from failure? Discovery Analysis Finding errors early and sharing them. Diving deep to find the root cause. @JENNAPEDERSON

Slide 34

Correction of Errors (COE) Mechanism to learn from mistakes What happened? What data do you have to support your analysis? What was the impact on the customers? What did you learn and how will you prevent it from happening again in the future? HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=YQIRLI2ZPXU @JENNAPEDERSON What are the contributing factors?

Slide 35

How do you learn from failure? Discovery Analysis Experimentation Finding errors early and sharing them. Diving deep to find the root cause. Proactive and strategic experimentation. @JENNAPEDERSON

Slide 36

Working Backwards Process Use it to get clarity, not to document what you’ve already decided to do. Who is the customer? What is the customer problem or opportunity? What is the most important customer benefit? What does customer experience look like? HTTPS://WWW.ALLTHINGSDISTRIBUTED.COM/2006/11/WORKING_BACKWARDS.HTML @JENNAPEDERSON How do you know what the customers need or want?