When we launched Locomotive Partners our metaphor for starting the business was a journey of discovery. How would we develop organizations, leaders, and teams? Which ones? Under what conditions? Using what methods? With what measurable, repeatable impact?

It’s been several years now, and we recently sought feedback from clients and colleagues. The conversation went beyond the tactical, “Did the workshop/coaching/training meet your needs?”, and was guided by a few simple, deep questions. “How would you describe working with us to your boss?” was one. “What was distinctive about our work?” was another.

In short, we sought to understand how close, or far, our impact was from our intention. This simple act of checking for an “intention/impact gap” can offer incredible learning. The question that brought the most interesting lesson was “What beliefs do you sense we work from?” From this we learned that, while some of our beliefs are clear to some, they aren’t communicated equally to both clients and colleagues. A client even suggested we do so.

So we’re publishing below, and on our About page, the 10 beliefs that drive our work. Whether you encounter Locomotive Partners via an article in a journal, a public workshop, or by inviting us to help your team learn and grow, these guide everything we do.

1. We believe the ‘soft skills’ are actually the hardest to master.
2. We believe leadership, collaboration, decision making, conflict management and emotional intelligence are learnable behaviors.
3. We believe people learn and grow best in relationship and when that growth means something to them.
4. We believe creating learning relationships, finding that meaning, and developing these behaviors is our best work.
5. We believe hot teams design and build hot products.
6. We believe creativity, innovation, and risk-taking require effective leaders and cultures.
7. We believe ‘design thinking’ works better when you apply it not just to customers & users but to yourself & your team.
8. We believe design and organization development are two fields separated by common methods.
9. We believe experiential-, adult-, and action-learning techniques can be used for any curriculum, and should be.
10. We believe all organization development can be measured via real business outcomes, and should be.

You can learn more about our design + OD approach via some of our articles and presentations:

• iPads & Organizations: Using Design Methods as OD Interventions – Alex M. Dunne & Tonya M. Peck, ODNetwork Conference, New Orleans, October 2010.
• Integrative Thinking, Feeling and Being – by Tonya M. Peck, DMI News & Views, Design Management Institute, September 2010.
• Hot Teams: How to Sizzle & Not Burn – by Tonya M. Peck & Kent Sullivan, DMI Seattle, June 2011 & UW HCDE January 2011