Netflix's 'Keeper Test' and Why You Need It

The Netflix ‘Keeper Test’… And the Courage to Take It

Accountability Organizational culture Organizational leadership

Key Point: I was revisiting the now famous set of slides developed by Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and then (2012) Netflix chief talent officer, Patty McCord. The Netflix “people philosophy” was posted on the web for anyone to read. Over five million people have now viewed the principles behind Netflix culture and HR strategy. The PowerPoint itself is without any “whiz bang.” In fact, by presentation standards, it’s lousy. It went viral primarily based on the merits of the slide content and challenge to much conventional thinking regarding people and culture.

One my favorite pieces from the slides is the Netflix “keeper test.” And after my vacation, it got me wondering what would happen if everyone in our company initiated a “keeper test” conversation. Here is how it would go:

All Managers would ask themselves the following: “Which of my people, if they told me they were leaving for a similar job at a competitor or peer company would I fight hard to keep?”

And/Or:

All team members would ask their managers: “If I told you I was leaving the company to work for a competitor, how hard would you fight to keep me and try and convince me to change my mind?”

If you’re a manager and you have people you wouldn’t fight for at all to keep in the company, then they are likely placeholders at best, blockers at worst. They are taking up a spot an “A” player could be in. Your job is to give them a generous severance package and replace them ASAP. It is the honest and respectful thing to do. If you, as an employee, ask your manager the “keeper test” and they can’t look you in the eye and tell you unequivocally, “YES,” they’d try and fight for you… Then you need to know what is missing so that the answer could be a clear “yes.” A respectful leader will let you know where you stand… No material surprise.

Character Moves:

Apply the “keeper test.” If you’re a leader, be honest… Be respectful. Who would you fight for? Be ambivalent about? Or wish they’d just disappear? At minimum, if you have anybody outlined on the “disappear list,” can you imagine how he or she must feel working for you? Kindly and respectfully give them a generous severance. Their replacement, assuming you know how to attract “A” talent, will give you a 10 fold productivity increase in return. And of course you will soon ask yourself why it took so long to make the decision. (Btw, do not fight to keep “brilliant jerks.” They get results but the cost to the culture is usually way too much. These so called “brilliant” people are more easily replaced than you might think).

As an employee, have the self-accountability and courage to ask your boss the “keeper test” and expect an honest response. Now you’re on the receiving end of No. 1 above. How does it feel to be on that side of the equation? How do you wish your boss would respond? Don’t you wish your boss would be letting you know where you stand regularly so that you didn’t have to ask the “keeper test” and/ or knew well in advance what the answer would be?

Remember that “stars” can hit a rough patch too… Just like great organizations sometimes do. They deserve a near term pass, reasonable loyalty, and we don’t want to give up on people without understanding context. However, as they say at Quicken Loans, “The trend needs to be your friend.” If you’re performance is trending continuously downward, well you should not be surprised if things end unhappily. What you and I did “great last year” only lasts for a while. The trend has to be “up” in terms of value and contribution, or no one will fight to keep us.

Keeping in the Triangle,

Lorne

One Millennial View: I guess the most relatable comparison would be to ask yourself if you’re in the “friend zone” with your job. With personal relationships, the “what are we?” question is maybe the most avoided of all… Maybe you sort of like your job, cause it’s there, it keeps paying, and it’s comfortable. There are a million reasons not to pry. But are you happy? The “keeper test” seems equivalent, cause it kicks things into gear one way or another. It can be the scariest truth ever, but you know what? Why settle? There’s a “job” out there for you. They say, “Relationships can be like jewelry… You see something that might look nice on someone, but it just doesn’t look good on you.” That’s just fine! Jobs are the same. Find the piece that wants to wear you as much as you want to put it on.

– Garrett

Edited and published by Garrett Rubis

What I Learned on my Summer Vacation

Abundance Happiness Kindness

Key Point: We all have superhero powers! We might not realize it but our superpowers are so abundant and impactful. We have an unlimited ability to zap people with them. Let’s use them positively more often. We also need to stop and get to ground level to understand that we are being presented with superhero signals all the time. The replenishment from a holiday is absolutely necessary to more effectively give and receive these superhero powers. That’s what I learned on this summer vacation.

My vacation started with about 20 people I work with surprising and overwhelming me with a WOW! They each sent me reasons, on Fri. July 24, why they admired me as a leader. I was blown away by their generosity of spirit and care. We all need “Big Head Days” (a beautifully descriptive term developed by one of my teammates) and these wonderful people gave me a very BIG HEAD Day… Thank you!! You have no idea the superhero power you have by being generous of spirit.

During this vacation, my wife, children and grandchildren gave me the most wonderful milestone birthday celebration. They used their superhero power of love in a way that seared my heart forever. Thank you, my sweet ones.

And during this same vacation our 1-year-old granddaughter unknowingly used her naive and developing superpower of unbounded curiosity. Just watching her explore everything around her reminded me that everyday we have something new and wonderful presented to us. And our 8-year-old grandson used his superhero power of unbiased respect and inclusion when he emphasized (listening to the radio newscast as we were driving together) that the Boy Scouts did the right thing allowing gay scout leaders to be part of their community. He also told me he would recommend me to his friends as a great gramps when I explained how the net promoter score worked (8-year-olds may have unlimited superhero powers, haha).

Ironically on the 25th of July, I received an uninvited and unpleasant email from someone who had very critical things to say about the consequences of our decision to sell the company I was CEO of for eight years. And that’s why our superhero powers of love and abundance are so important. We all need to draw on our Big Head files to keep things in perspective.

Character Moves:

When we tell people with genuine care and love why and how they are important to us, we apply what I believe are truly superhero powers. And the best thing is that we have an unlimited amount of that power to give.

Just do it. Apply your superpowers of care and love, you can never run out. It can never be too much. You will make a difference to others that you will likely never fully appreciate.

Superhero powers in The Triangle,

Lorne

One Millennial View: I find it interesting that people seem to get unnerved when someone else is perpetually happy. Haven’t you heard that? “Oh Susie is so annoying, she’s always smiling.” Uh, no, Susie just doesn’t need to project her own issues (which of course she has too), when it’s not the proper outlet. She’s being courteous. Unfortunately, it’s almost “cooler” to join the glum masses, or discover a talking point that invokes outrage. I don’t mean to suggest living uninformed, but sometimes “ignorance” can be such a positive state of mind. The complimentary, understanding, giving, and sometimes “indifferent” people are living the best lives. These days, society is very quick to utilize the unfortunate “superpower” of being a keyboard warrior with the ability to take someone down (via Social Media, or anything else) when they can. Yes, it’s a lot easier to do that than build your own self up. But, when someone is up on the totem pole, people can’t wait to dethrone him or her. It can be disgusting. Truth is, it is far easier to be abundant, less cynical, and engage kindly than the alternative. If people woke up with the intention of complimenting someone instead of searching for something negative to chat about at the water cooler, well, our workdays might be less entertaining but we also might turn out a few more superheroes.

– Garrett

Edited and published by Garrett Rubis.

Inclusion and Acceptance Completes Us

Kindness Organizational culture Respect

Tim Harris, the founder of, Tim’s Place, a restaurant in Albuquerque, introduced First Lady Michelle Obama as the keynote speaker at the opening ceremonies of the 2015 Special Olympics in Los Angeles. Tim’s known for serving up hot food with a side of heart-warming hugs. Tim has Down Syndrome, and is considered “disabled.”

He has always had the dream of opening up a restaurant and Tim has become famous for giving out over 72,000 hugs in his eatery over the four years it’s been open. He got a chance to share one with Mrs. Obama in front of 6,000 Special Olympians and guests this Saturday night! “I’ve been always born a hugger,” Tim said. “A hugging machine, that’s me.”

On the previous Thursday, Tim got the chance to bring that hug to the White House at a Special Olympics dinner hosted by the President. He gave the Commander & Chief a big bear hug. “It felt really awesome,” Tim said. “He wanted that hug ’cause his job is stressful and that hug says it all. Presidents need some encouragement once in a while, too. You know, that felt really good.” Tim’s philosophy in life and restaurants: “My favorite part of all is the people coming through the front door. My hugs are way more important than the food… The food is just food!”

In parallel, I read this Sunday’s NYT op-Ed by Ben Mattlin, author of “Miracle Boy Grows Up.” He is a lifelong wheel chair user because of a genetic condition. Mattlin is married, has two able bodied children, and is an accomplished author. He recalls being at Harvard in 1973 when he wanted to room with a so-called “able body.” He painfully recalls how a dean squashed his request for inclusion with an expressed concern how Mattlin’s disability might affect a “normal” roommate. As Mattlin now reflects, “How about how the sequestration affected him? ” Recently, 40 plus years later, his daughters came home from “Diversity Day” in high school. The theme was about being kind to people who faced difficulties. They obviously embraced kindness but what incensed Mattlin’s daughters, who have grown up with a father on wheels, was “there was almost nothing about respect, empowerment or equality.”

Recently I received a note from an executive who is playing a lead role in our companies LGBQT community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Questioning/Queer, and Transgender), asking me as Chief People Officer to reinforce our organization’s commitment to inclusiveness and diversity in the workplace. What makes me sad is that I still have to restate that we are totally committed to being a safe, inclusive, respectful, equal, empowering, workplace community. And I will relentlessly say and act that way until we no longer need the reminder. Inclusion and total acceptance of our entire community needs to be as authentic and as beautiful as getting a hug in Tim’s Place.

Character Moves:

We must be mono-cultural on the values of respect, accountability and abundance, (and perhaps others)? We need to also simultaneously be multi-cultural, totally inclusive AND accepting of ALL diversity. Acceptance, and empathy to all who do no harm to others makes us all much richer. Inclusiveness and embraced acceptance defines who “us” is and what “we” really stand for.

We need to remind ourselves that the way we personally view the world is only one worldview. Spiritual intelligence and maturity comes from recognizing that our “world view” is only one perspective and one not necessarily shared by others. It is not about being right or wrong. It is about being inclusive of our individual and collective beautiful complexity while accepting our most unique selves have a vital role to play.

Inclusion and acceptance in the Triangle,

Lorne

One Millennial View: I recently read an article that really intrigued me. It’s called, “You Didn’t REALLY Care About Gay Marriage.” (Who cringed? Did you cringe? That’s ok. Hear the concept out). The author’s main message is honest and important: He says, “There’s a difference between empathy and care. Let’s not confuse them.” His meaning is when we do something like become irresponsible social justice warriors behind a keyboard and post our outrages or agendas on OUR social media, we’re really just saying “Hey look at me! Look at me! Look how good of a person I am!” That post is for YOU, a pat on your own back. It’s inherently selfish. In reality, we probably didn’t REALLY do ANYTHING for the cause, besides agree. We probably wrote no Congressman, attended no meetings/marches, and certainly didn’t undergo any form of real sacrifice. Here’s an alternate idea: Embrace the beauty of inclusion to a point where you don’t NEED for it to be advertised. We’re at the point where acceptance shouldn’t be a shock. Everybody needs to feel welcome, SO welcome that drawing special attention to the idea that you have that standpoint should be weird. Of course you’re accepting. Everyone deserves the right to just “know” they’re cool, especially at work, and it would be ridiculous if they weren’t. Wouldn’t that be great?

– Garrett

Edited and published by Garrett Rubis

Get Micro Learning in a Hurry

Accountability Growth mindset Personal leadership

Key Point: Learning in bite size chunks, also known as “micro learning” is gaining both interest and traction for reasons that make sense in today’s content rich environments. This involves a new way of thinking about learning and delivering content in fast, short, (usually in one to 20 min max) multi-media chunks, that arrive for the learner, “just in time.” An analogue metaphor is Google’s “testing on the toilet;” where one page learning tips are regularly placed on bathroom doors so Googlers get on-going toilet training. (Ok, I thought it was funny).

Micro learning offers a promising antidote to boredom by increasing a learner’s psychological engagement. Instead of a long, 90 plus minute delivery, learners are motivated to consume short, snappy yet meaningful content. Abreena Tompkins, instruction specialist, and this article, explains this more clearly: “Physiologically, your neurons are keen and alert for no more than 20 consecutive minutes. At the end of those 20 minutes, your neurons have gone from full-fledged alert to total collapse, and it takes two to three minutes for those neurons to be completely recovered and back to the total alert state. If you break longer than three minutes, you’ve redirected your attention.

Bite-size content is easier to digest, understand and remember. According to George Miller’s Information Process Theory, a learner’s attention span and short-term memory is limited to processing information in chunks. That’s why adherents of such theory suggest splitting up content into small, manageable sections, rather than simply dump never-ending chains of text. This technique makes learning more manageable and easier to integrate into long-term memory. Once it’s in long-term memory learners can remember it and transfer the knowledge to their daily tasks. It’s not just about learning per se. No more lengthy lectures and rigid schedules. People can now learn on their spare or just in time and learn only what they’re interested in.”

Character Moves:

Challenge the value of long, classroom style content delivery in today’s environment. Become a student of micro learning, and where it might work for you.

Combine chunk-style micro learning with unleashing people at ALL levels to participate as teachers. Allow your faculty and content to be developed and delivered by hundreds of experts in your own system. All team members and teachers become more effective learners.

Learn how to make this “burst type” learning effective by adding reference tools, using gamification and attention formulas! Then test and retest both the learning and system to determine effectiveness.

Micro learning in the Triangle,

Lorne

One Millennial View: This should be a surprise to NO ONE. Why should learning be so different than consuming entertainment? YouTube videos are best when short, our television is on-demand, Tweets are 140 characters and six-second Vine videos can go as viral as anything else. We want it now, and we want it quick. Even the term “tl/dr” seems to be teetering on “acceptable” in a professional environment. (It means “too long, didn’t read,” incase you haven’t sent something too lengthy before). And, if we click, it “better” be worth that 15 second advertisement or you’re probably going to get blackballed from future shares. It’s a tough, patience-lacking world out there folks, but instead of fighting it, if you learn to play the game well then everyone will get on your team.

TL/DR? – We get it in a hurry. Short and sweet lessons are best appreciated.

– Garrett

Edited and published by Garrett Rubis

Leading with Springboard Stories

Communication Organizational culture Respect

Key Point: The elders of many indigenous tribes would likely smile, perhaps even smirk, at the newfound attention regarding the vital nature of story telling as a necessary trait amongst leaders in modern organizations. Story telling is the essence of behavioral guidance in many cultures. In some they actually refer to the word story as a verb rather than a noun.

Steve Denning is one of the leading experts regarding story telling in organizations. His latest book is The Leader’s Guide to Radical Management. He is also the author of The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling, The Secret Language of Leadership, and a regular blog on Forbes. Denning outlines different types of story telling for different purposes and I would like to highlight what he calls “springboard stories” within the context of sparking action and leading people to a more desirable future state. This is what Denning says:

“Sparking Action.

Leadership is, above all, about getting people to change. To achieve that goal, you need to communicate the sometimes complex nature of the changes required and inspire an often skeptical organization to enthusiastically carry them out. This is the place for what I call a ‘springboard story,’ one that enables listeners to visualize the transformation needed in their circumstances and then to act on that realization. Such a story is based on an actual event, preferably recent enough to seem relevant. It has a single protagonist with whom members of the target audience can identify.

Leading People into the Future.

An important part of a leader’s job is preparing others for what lies ahead, whether in the concrete terms of an actual scenario or the more conceptual terms of a vision. A story can help take listeners from where they are now to where they need to be, by making them comfortable with an image of the future. The problem, of course, lies in crafting a credible narrative about the future when the future is unknowable. Thus, if such stories are to serve their purpose, they should whet listeners’ imaginative appetite about the future without providing detail that will likely turn out to be inaccurate.”

I have just been part of an organization story telling process involving 4,000 plus team members over a short three-month period. This experience reinforced for me that story telling can help develop rich understanding about stated values and how they ideally get translated into daily work. The challenge is to highlight memorable springboard stories, that are powerful enough to spring people into sustainable intentional action. Not all stories do that.

Character Moves:

1. Become more than a leader/storyteller, learn to become a master springboard storyteller. It’s as necessary of a skill in leadership as becoming digitally literate, a superb coach, a relationship builder and results executor. Invest in this skill.

Springboard stories in The Triangle,

Lorne

One Millennial View: There’s no secret to the value of a great story, told with good delivery by a gifted storyteller. (My profession is completely based on the demand for stories). Some may think this is skill reserved for entertainment purposes, a dinner table or some other “recreational” period. But there’s a reason we remember a good joke, or an inspiring tale. It’s the “story” element that keeps it memorable, and gives us the ability to reference it later. We grow up learning through key worded text books, which is just fine. It works. But, in the real world, I’m likely walking away from a meeting involving a “springboard story” with more comprehension, motivation and purpose than if the same message was delivered in bullet points.

– Garrett

Edited and published by Garrett Rubis

Dancing with ‘Enough,’ and ‘More’

Abundance Growth mindset Personal leadership

Key Point: One element emphasized by the performance psychologists of Olympic athletes is this: If you weren’t good enough before you win the gold medal, you won’t be good enough after you win it. Winning to prove “you’re good enough” is a dead end journey. I have seen this with people at work quite often. I may have even behaved this way myself. The primary motivation connected to forward movement can sometimes be around the judgmental voice of our ego. We may say things to ourselves like, “If I get this promotion then I will finally be good enough,” “when I make this amount of money then I will finally be good enough,” “when I lose the 30 pounds then I will finally be good enough.” And of course, when they get “there,” it’s never enough .

I recently discussed this notion with a very wise performance consultant and she talked about the conundrum and paradox surrounding personal contentment and development. She noted: “At a fundamental level personal acceptance is critical for well–being and high performance. No matter where we are on our life journey it is important to trust that we are whole – that we ARE enough, and ensure that our esteem not be determined by achievements. This reality, however, must coexist with another aspect equally present in people – the desire to grow, develop, aspire, be creative and curious about one’s potential. It thus begs a question… ‘How can I feel that I am enough AND want more out of life?’ It takes an open and reflective mindset to hold both as truth.”

In my career, I have seen the most confident and humble people come from a place of deeply believing in themselves as “good enough.” However, these same people are relentlessly curious and adventurous . They come from an abundant place of always contributing, creating, building, adding, and personally growing. They are content in the moment regarding who they are and yet relentlessly restless in giving to themselves and others the very joy associated with “more.” It is possible for “enough” and “more” to wonderfully co-exist. It is ok to be enough and not done.

Character Moves:

1. I am inviting you to join me in a recommended exercise if the above topic resonates with you in any way. On a blank page draw a line through the middle. On the left hand side, write “content and I am enough” as a heading. On the right side of page, write “more and not done yet.” Then for each side, ask yourself and write your reflections:

* When and in what ways do I feel content? When and in what ways do I desire more?

* How will I live in ways that reflect that I am content? How will I live in ways that acknowledge my potential?

* How will I communicate to others that I am content? How will I communicate my eagerness to develop and grow?

2. This exercise may help us better discover and live the dual path of contentment and more. At the root however, must be the belief: I AM enough!

Relentlessly content in the Triangle

Lorne

One Millennial View: I’ve come to the realization that my least favorite phrase is likely one I’ve used before, but now diligently try to avoid. I dislike saying, “it is what it is.” To me, it’s a phrase that suggests stopping, being stuck, or unable to progress in a favorable direction. It’s a way to justify brushing a difficult issue under the rug. Not believing you’re “enough,” seems to lead to anticlimactic conclusions like “it is what it is.”

– Garrett

Edited and published by Garrett Rubis