8 reasons for working out loud and narrating your work

Here are 8 reasons for working out loud rather than privately, through email messages, or in closed meetings

1. Multiple people may need to know what is going on, to read updates, and to reply

• You don’t know who all of them are
• You can receive replies from all relevant people
• You can see all people who replied, unlike forwarded email

2. Provide transparency in thinking, decisions, and processes

• Receive inputs and feedback from anyone willing to contribute
• Vet ideas in public by allowing others to weigh in, which helps achieve consensus
• Lead by example to encourage others to also work out loud

3. Enable and exploit serendipity

• Meet up with people wherever you are, who otherwise won't know you are going to be there
• Exchange and support ideas with other people attending the same events, and allow those unable to attend to also benefit
• Gain new colleagues by participating in recurring online chats

4. Allow others to benefit from seeing discussions

• Receive advice from unexpected sources based on relevant experience
• Receive pointers to useful information
• Help others to learn and develop

5. Keep a record of discussions

• Maintain a single thread with all replies in the same place
• Make it open to all who have an interest
• Easily refer back to the discussion and provide a public link

6. Build your personal brand

• Maintain a journal of your thinking for a permanent record
• Reuse your thoughts for blog posts and book chapters
• Enhance your reputation as a thought leader

7. Avoid fragmentation into different email threads and different sets of people

• No need to forward
• Avoid having different people on different threads
• Prevent out-of-sync replies

8. Move from old ways of working to new and better ones

• Model the open way of working
• Demonstrate trust
• Flatten out the hierarchy

 Resources

1. Articles and Links on Working Out Loud
2. John Stepper - Resources - Twitter thread - SIKM Presentation
3. Luis Suarez
4. Brad Palmer
5. Bryce Williams
6. Harold Jarche
7. Matt Partovi
8. Howie Cohen - 5-part blog series
9. Bruno Winck
10. Ian Thorpe - Increase the volume
11. Simon Terry
12. Rachel Happe
13. Dennis Pearce - LinkedIn Articles - KMWorld - Midwest KM Symposium
14. Filip Callewaert - Xtreme WOL
15. Jane Bozarth
16. Rachel Miller
17. Ian Jones - Working Out Loud in Shell
18. Catherine Shinners - Dynamics of WOL - Fireside Chat - Opening the Curtains
19. Dion Hinchcliffe - Open Work: Using Social Software To Make Our Work Visible Again
20. Stowe Boyd - Working Out Loud: Make Work Open To Make It Better
21. LinkedIn Topic
22. SlideShare
23. Working Out Loud Facebook Group

Books

1. Working Out Loud: For a better career and life by John Stepper
2. Show Your Work: The Payoffs and How-to's of Working Out Loud by Jane Bozarth
3. Show Your Work! 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered by Austin Kleon

What are some other reasons for working out loud?