Open Decision Framework

How to make everyone happy

About me

  • My name’s Damien Clochard
  • Founded a PostgreSQL consulting company in 2005
  • Involved in the Postgres community at various levels
  • https://github.com/daamien

Our story

We built a FLOSS company using FLOSS principles :

  • Worker-owned / Cooperative
  • Transparency by default
  • Open discussions
  • Decentralized / Working remotely
  • Horizontal structure / Elected management

 

Problems

  • Consensus does not scale

  • Dull meetings + Hundreds of endless email threads

  • « Did we decide something ? »

  • Silent Disapproval

  • Not taking a decision is a decision itself

The Open Decision Framework

  • Developped by Red Hat, published on github in 2016

  • We translated it in French in 2017

  • Then we “forked” it to our fit our own needs

What is an “Open Decision” ?

Open decisions are made using open source principles :

  • Transparent
  • Inclusive
  • User-Centric

4 basic steps

  1. Concept, Define, Plan, Ideate
  2. Research, Analyze, Complexify
  3. Design, Develop, Test
  4. Launch, Deploy, Close

PHASE 1

Concept, Define, Plan, Ideate

Questions

  • What is the problem ?

  • Whose problem is it ? Who else could be impacted?

  • Who has solved a similar problem?

  • How will we make the decision?

  • Who is likely to disagree, dissent, reject, or opt out?

  • What’s the roadmap

Potential Flamewars

  • Communication channels

  • Confidentiality

  • Deadlines

PHASE 2

Research, Analyze, Complexify

Questions

  • Who already tried to solved this? How did it work?
  • What are the hidden problems behing this?
  • Get user Feedback
  • Who is likely to disagree, dissent, reject, or opt out?

This is the most difficult part

  • Most people want to rush to a solution

  • Embrace complexity

  • Maintain a safe environment and let people expose their problems

  • Take your time

PHASE 3

Design, Develop, Test

Questions

  • What if…. ?
  • Where are the beta-testers and early adopters ?

This is the fun part

  • Build a prototype

  • Search for alternative solutions

  • In the end, simplify and reduce the options

  • Prepare an escape plan :)

PHASE 4

Launch, Deploy, Close

Questions

  • Did we answer the initial question ?
  • How do we monitor the impacts of our decision ?
  • How do we make revisons based on feedbacks ?
  • What are we leaving the “future generation”?
  • What have we learned ?
  • Do we need to revisit the decision later?

Be proud !

  • Write an announcement

  • Tell “the story” of your decision

  • Contribute upstream

  • Stay engaged with those who reject the decision

In practice

We used the framework in 6 different workgroups for marketing decisions

  • Each phase can take between 1 and 4 hours
  • Each group is composed of 3-5 persons
  • Some people find the framework a bit awkward
  • For other it’s easier to get involved

Result : Success

We solved a particular problem that was bothering everyone for the last 5 years.

We found a compromise in a situation with 2 strong opposite groups

Result : Failure

It’s not magic : some decisions failed…

… but they failed fast ;-)

Build your own framework

Red Hat : https://github.com/red-hat-people-team/open-decision-framework

Gitlab : https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/leadership/#making-decisions

Valve : http://www.davidmidgley.net/2013/01/valves-cabal-system-for-game-design/

Hack your company !

Let’s use FLOSS principles for corporate management

Treat your company like an open source project !