An Everyone Culture

Becoming a Deliberately Developmental Organization

Robert Kegan

Recommended By

Book Reviews

Book Synopsis

"An Everyone Culture" by Robert Kegan explores the concept of creating a culture within organizations that enables individuals to continually learn, grow, and develop. This groundbreaking book challenges the prevailing belief that high-performance cultures require employees to put on a 'work persona' and hide their true selves. Instead, Kegan argues that organizations can foster a growth-focused culture by embracing the idea of 'deliberately developmental organizations' (DDOs).

In a DDO, individuals are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work, including their vulnerabilities and areas for improvement. These organizations provide an environment where employees feel safe to take risks, receive feedback, and engage in regular 'real work' experiments to further their development. By emphasizing personal growth as an integral part of the work experience, DDOs empower individuals to reach their full potential and contribute to the organization's success.

Kegan introduces readers to three key pillars of DDOs: radical transparency, positive messiness, and continuously evolving practices. Radical transparency involves openness and honesty, where people share their assumptions, beliefs, and learning curves. Positive messiness embraces the fact that growth is a messy process, and the organization provides support for individuals to navigate and learn from their mistakes. Continuously evolving practices ensure that the organization's systems and processes are constantly adapting and improving to meet the changing needs of its employees and the market.

Drawing upon real-life examples from a range of organizations, Kegan showcases how DDOs have achieved remarkable success in fostering a culture of development and innovation. He provides practical guidance and tools for leaders and managers to transform their organizations into deliberate developmental cultures, including strategies for cultivating trust, fostering open communication, and creating space for individual growth.

Overall, "An Everyone Culture" offers a powerful vision for organizations that prioritize personal development and create an environment where individuals can thrive both professionally and personally. This book is a must-read for leaders, human resource professionals, and anyone seeking to cultivate a culture of continuous learning and deep engagement within their organization.

Explore More Books

See All
Made to Stick
The Uterus Is a Feature, Not a Bug
Architects of the Web
Something Like an Autobiography
The Hero with a Thousand Faces
Triumph Of The City
The Transit of Venus
Alexander Hamilton
Lives of the Eminent Philosophers
The Story of Civilization: The Renaissance
The E-Myth Revisited
A Short Guide to a Happy Life
The Sunday Philosophy Club
The Wealth of Nations
The Copernican Revolution
Read Write Own
The Last Lecture
The Gutsy Girl
All The Light We Cannot See
It's Not How Good You Are - It's How Good You Want To Be
The Fatal Conceit
The Qur'an
Build The Life You Want
Ringworld
The Future of Capitalism
Means Of Ascent
The Warburgs
A Curious Mind
Cosmos
The Dragons of Eden
Brute
The Reluctant Mr. Darwin
The New Leadership Literacies
No Easy Day
War and Chance
A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety
Tiny Habits
Warren Buffett
The Creative Curve
Master Of The Game
Primed to Perform
Buddha's Brain
I Want To Be A Mathematician
Too Dumb to Fail
Learn or Die
The Greedy Bastard Diary
The Serengeti Rules
A Technique for Producing Ideas
Catch-22
The Artist's Way
Game Engine Black Book
How To Get Rich
The Art of Computer Programming
Food and Nutrition
The Quiet American
Four Quartets
Neuromancer
Nothing To Lose
Private Truths, Public Lies
Awareness
Astrophysics for People In a Hurry
The Diamond Age
The Hand
The Upside of Inequality
The Founders
The Individualists
Beyond Good and Evil
Good Night, Little Bear
The Rape of Nanking
The Road
The Magic Of Reality
Swimming Across
Flying Start
The Money Game
Mismatch
Notes From an Apocalypse
Hooked
The Tycoons
The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy
Ultralight Backpackin' Tips
The Precariat
The Lives of the Artists
The Road to Serfdom
Life in the English Country House
Bass Culture
Where are the Customers Yachts
Born Standing Up
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Way of the Warrior Kid 3
Buffett
National Economic Planning
Plentiful Energy
Stalingrad
For A New Liberty
Radical Candor
Competition Demystified
Who's In Charge
Nixon Agonistes
Civilian Warriors
Arctica