APPLIED Organizational behavior for engineering leaders

Engineers learn analytical methods to solve technical problems. However, they don't have an analytical model for leadership. And, any management training they receive is based on outdated directing and controlling methods no longer applicable to the self-directed teams of Agile development.

Robert Webber was introduced to the analytical organizational behavior model of Aubrey Daniels International (ADI) as a director in a large telecom R&D organization. Positive reinforcement for applying software engineering best practices was embedded within  development processes to establish a nationally recognized culture of quality. 

Principles:

• All  results are the product of behaviors in your organization.
• Frequent and timely positive reinforcement increases behaviors that contribute to results.
• Positive reinforcement can be embedded within software development practices.

Robert applied ADI's principles throughout his career to build high-performance, innovative engineering teams. 

This is different from anything you've heard about motivating Agile teams. We boil it down to practices based on proven organizational behavior principles for engineering leaders.

We offer surveys to benchmark motivation and innovation.

ADI is a pioneer in applying behavioral science to professional work environments to establish the employee engagement sought by organizations today. Robert Webber and ADI have collaborated to adapt proven organizational behavior principles to software development with training and consulting that increase motivation and innovation.

Agile development was founded on the concept of empowered engineering teams motivated to  build small increments of software functionality at their own pace. This only works if organizations can transition from the individual accountability and task tracking of conventional software development to self-motivated self-directed teams. Many organizations are disappointed in their Agile transitions because their leadership wasn't prepared. Empowerment without motivation won't get results.

The short development cycles of Agile development provide the ideal environment for frequent positive reinforcement. Engineering leaders can learn how to establish Agile team environments by building opportunities for peer recognition within the short development cycles of Agile development.

We provide training and consulting for engineering leaders to establish build positive reinforcement into the Agile development process.

Innovation results from a series of behaviors, like researching opportunities, volunteering ideas, building prototypes and creating proposals for management support. These are discretionary behaviors that require positive reinforcement. 

Innovation advice is based on observations in innovative organization. Many organizations implement the recommended  practices, like Google's 20% innovation time, with no results. Any positive reinforcement for behaviors that lead to innovation are  overridden by strong negative consequences, like schedule pressure. Engineering leaders can learn how to increase innovation within self-motivated Agile teams with high productivity and predictability. Unleash discretionary effort for innovation.

We build innovation leaders through training and consulting to build a culture of innovation.