1.
Learning Over Outcomes
Brenna Fallon
Google, UX Program Manager

2.
It matters what
you build

3.
but

4.
it matters more
if you learn.

5.
(accept change is
constant)

6.
All I Really Needed
to Know I Learned
in Montessori

7.
“You can’t understand Google unless you know that both
Larry and Sergey were Montessori kids. ... In Montessori
school you go paint because you have something to
express or you just want to do it that afternoon, not
because the teacher said so. This is really baked into how
Larry and Sergey approach problems. They’re always
asking ‘Why should it be like that?’”
- Marissa Mayer

8.
Independence
Order
Planes
MONTESSORI PRINCIPLES

9.
Independence
Order
Planes
MONTESSORI PRINCIPLES

10.
OKRsbjectives
ey esults

11.
Company
Org Org
ProductProductProductProduct
FunctionFunctionFunctionFunction Function
IndividualIndividualIndividualIndividual Individual Individual

12.
20%

13.
Independence
Order
Planes
MONTESSORI PRINCIPLES

14.
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Loosely coupled, tightly aligned

15.
Month 1
DIARY
STUDY
LAB
STUDY
(IN)
LAB
STUDY
(IN)
LAB
STUDY
(NG)
LAB
STUDY
(NG)
Month 2
DIARY
STUDY
LAB
STUDY
(IN)
LAB
STUDY
(IN)
LAB
STUDY
(NG)
LAB
STUDY
(NG)
Month 3
DIARY
STUDY
LAB
STUDY
(IN)
LAB
STUDY
(IN)
LAB
STUDY
(NG)
LAB
STUDY
(NG)
Month 4
DIARY
STUDY
LAB
STUDY
(IN)
LAB
STUDY
(IN)
LAB
STUDY
(NG)
LAB
STUDY
(NG)
Month 5
DIARY
STUDY
LAB
STUDY
(IN)
LAB
STUDY
(IN)
LAB
STUDY
(NG)
LAB
STUDY
(NG)
Month 6
DIARY
STUDY
LAB
STUDY
(IN)
LAB
STUDY
(IN)
LAB
STUDY
(NG)
LAB
STUDY
(NG)
Month 7
DIARY
STUDY
LAB
STUDY
(IN)
LAB
STUDY
(IN)
LAB
STUDY
(NG)
LAB
STUDY
(NG)
Month 8
DIARY
STUDY
LAB
STUDY
(IN)
LAB
STUDY
(IN)
LAB
STUDY
(NG)
LAB
STUDY
(NG)
Mo
LAB
STUDY
(IN)
LAB
STUD
(NG
Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3
IN-FIELD
STUDY
IN-FIELD
STUDY
IN-FIELD
STUDY

16.
3 MINUTES
Which model (squads, double diamond, or
research train) is most different from how
your team currently works?
What could you learn from it?

17.
Independence
Order
Planes
MONTESSORI PRINCIPLES

18.
Physical & Psychological independenceInfancy // 0-6
Mental IndependenceChildhood // 6-12
Spiritual & Moral IndependenceMaturity // 18-24
Social IndependenceAdolescence // 12-18
Dr Montessori’s 4 Planes of Development

19.
formingreorganizing
stormingperforming
norming *slightly adjusted
Tuckman’s* Stages of Team Development

20.
Impact
Psychological
Safety
Meaning
Dependability
Structure & Clarity
Google’s 5 Dynamics of an Effective Team

21.
Order
Independence
Planes
MONTESSORI PRINCIPLES

22.
“The greatest sign of success for a teacher... is to
be able to say, ‘The children are now working
as if I did not exist.’”
- Dr. Maria Montessori

23.
...but, to Monday.

24.
Fresh eyes

25.
Celebrate (loudly)

26.
Incentivize

27.
Design processes
around learning

28.
Post-mortems

29.
“Resources”

30.
#blessthismess

31.
Why?

32.
How does this scale across different people?
How does work in places that are highly structured or can’t afford
the time and space for this?

33.
Thank you.
Questions?

34.
Citations
Photos
● Slide 17, photo by Anna Earl on
Unsplash
● Slide 15, photo by Gautam Arora on
Unsplash
● All other photos by Pat Fallon (aka
Mom)
References
● Google & Montessori
● Spotify Squad Model
Further Reading
● re:Work, Guiding Team Effectiveness

35.
Thank you.