LRN Reviews

Pros

LRN is full of mission-driven colleagues who are out to make the world a better place and who are passionate to do so. They are very smart, collaborative and fun to work with.
There is enormous potential for personal growth as everyone is encouraged to pursue their passions and to think without constraints. This is enabled by a flat structure and self governing culture.
The company cares deeply about its customers and about helping them foster values-based, self governing cultures.
The company's thought leadership is leading edge. It just released a report which shows in tangible terms that companies with values-based self governing cultures outperform in the areas of innovation, customer satisfaction, employee loyalty and financial performnace. This was just reported on in The Economist.
The company is investing heavily in the development of new and innovative solutions.
The company has beautiful offices in great locations. The offices are designed to encourage connection, collaboration, transparency and innovation.

Cons

The mission is so significant that there is a tremendous amount that needs to be done. One can spend extraordinary amounts of effort and time and yet there is still so much more to do. To some this may be frustrating.
People who require traditional hierachical structures, functional departments and lines of authority will find this to be a very challenging environment as the company is flat and self governing.

Advice to Senior Management

Do not change the strategy and keep executing on it. LRN is making a difference in the world and the impact is being felt.

Pros

Matching 401K, some benefits, there are a couple of good people still left, work schedule is relatively consistent, comfortable office chairs.

Cons

The leadership does not leave by the philosophy it loud speaks and messages to the world
Departments are disconnected and poorly managed, most groups have lost the more decent employees
"Flat" organizational structure does not work. Leadership is missing.

Advice to Senior Management

Hire capable professional management team. The team is capable of producing results. Get rid of existing upper management politicians that will agree to any whim of the boss.

Pros

Great people to work with
Good flexibility with work/life
Excellent locations in CA and NY
People that work at LRN are extremely competent and bright.

Cons

"Do as I say, not as I do" would be a better philosophy for LRN. They say one thing and do another. Defining the company as a "flat organization" is a joke. The company revolves around the whim of the board and Dov Seidman's climb for fame. He does not exemplify what he proudly boasts in his books. Humility is not one of his strong suits. The board is filled with leaders that are mostly "yes" men and women. They are excellent at what they do and can definitely lead in capacities if they were given the chance. I joined the organization, very excited and heard some negative comments, but I joined anyway. LRN lived up to the reputation which made me wish I listened to.

Advice to Senior Management

Let the leaders lead and govern diligently and in fairness. Practice what you preach and listen to the people and not just Dov. Be approachable and be courageous and speak for the right thing and not out of fear.

Pros

They own GreenOrder and GreenOrder still has a few amazing folks trying to do amazing work. Advisory services to top CEOs who want to be ahead in environmental innovation. Also, the chaotic/unstructured environment could potentially generate opportunities for self-starters to try to develop and implement their own initiatives, grow their responsibilities, etc. However, as soon as you start developing passion for one thing, its likely to get shut down later on given a very skewed vision that sr. leadership might have of how the world works and how LRN fits in.

Cons

Leadership just does not get it. They have tried to dissolve the GO brand after acquiring it (people are told not to use it internally, and talk about themselves as LRN Advisory services) when the most valuable thing they acquired was the brand, people, and relationships. GO people are leaving unfortunately, and a great culture and community is being dissolved and mashed up with the LRN culture which is simply less genuine, authentic, or inspiring.

LRN also does not have its house in order. Unclear how new business is being developed or how they are innovating their product as technology evolves (e..g, mobile & tablet education). Leadership does not get it.

Advice to Senior Management

To the board, not to management: Change quickly. Loose the dogma. Remove Dov, do not confuse founders with managers/leaders. The cultish How/Frameworks/Forced Readings is killing innovation and morale. Sell GreenOrder and let them recover their traditional culture, or let them hold on to what they have before everyone is out. Also, drink your own kool-aid if you want people to follow you.

Pros

LRN pulls in some great people who you can learn from as long as they stick around. And the offices are nice and in good locations. When you join, the whole setup seems very promising.

Cons

This business is the CEO's vanity experiment at trying to make him appear to be a business guru. But the history of the company is one of strategy-of-the-month, management saying one thing and doing another, excrutiatingly long decision making, disillusioned employees, revolving door management, worthless stock options, rampid turnover--and then the cycle repeats itself with a new crop of employees, all pumped up thinking they just joined the Next Big Thing. Wish it were different. I heard critical things about the company before joining, but I joined anyway, It all came true.

Advice to Senior Management

I would say hire some professional management, but that's been tried before several times and they all left or were pushed out. Perhaps get the CEO to write a new book so he'll be distracted so the rest of management can make some internal progress.

Pros

The office is at a great location and the office is beautiful. Most everyone in the organization is very pleasant to work with; intelligent and passionate, if not a bit naïve. The organization’s principles are honorable and inspirational.

Cons

The executive team is all but, completely focused on the image and message of the founder. They don’t display the necessary management skills to direct an organization towards the implementation of much needed projects and initiatives. Projects and initiatives are executed in “waves” with poor definition and vague objectives.

Everyone is focused on proving a “flat organization” and the ideas within the book “HOW”. While this could be the organizational structure and practice of the future (I doubt that), the lack of senior management skill exacerbates the problems in execution.

There are way too many contractors working in the organization. It gives one the feeling that there is trouble hiring people, they will only accept certain people (in a cult kind of way) or, they are shifting the business model from products and services to a consulting\think tank practice.

Advice to Senior Management

Embrace the truth of the present; you need to be better at managing. Hire a C-level executive who can execute. Also, hit your Sales projections.

Pros

- There are a tremendous amount of intelligent and hard-working people working in every office.
- Their new space in New York is aesthetically beautiful.
- There is a push to encourage people to work collaboratively.

Cons

- There were numerous company-wide discussions and e-mail communications that discussed private employee matters in the name of transparency.
- Decisions are made without expediency even when timeliness is important.
- Even though people are encouraged to be self-governing, when it comes time for an actual decision to be made employees aren't given the freedom to make self-governing decisions.

Advice to Senior Management

Please evaluate the way in which you speak to and about employees.

Pros

very talented colleagues, great mission and philosophy, flexibel working hours, few layers of management, interesting products and clients

Cons

compensation is not great, too many "How" discussion and activities, very slow decision making, EC is not accountable, refocus on clients, hiring process is too long.

Advice to Senior Management

LRN should focus more on partners and not on LRN. Too much time is wasted on internal projects. Improve decision making progress and hiring process.

Pros

Company mission is admirable and worthwhile to strive towards in both business & personal life
Rare opportunity to work with a company based on philosophical principles
Bold attempt towards completely re-visualizing corporate structure
Extremely intelligent, insightful, appreciative & respectful staff & coworkers
Outstanding physical working environment
Good compensation & benefit package
Opportunity to create your own path, if you have the motivation & competence to do so

Cons

Lack of consistent policies among different areas of company
‘Flat’ infrastructure is difficult to implement, sometimes leading to lack of direction
High turnover leads to lack of knowledge transfer, resulting in delays, repeated work, and reduced morale
High number of contractors affects long-term outlook & commitment to mission & projects
Lack of planning & communication on crucial projects
Minimal training, mentoring and no clear career progression path

Advice to Senior Management

Work with employees more on how to do ‘How’. Re-institute a minimal level of hierarchy and transition to ‘flat’ in a more methodical manner. Create policies that define career progression paths, clarify goals, and ensure communication between teams. Don’t just assume everyone will ‘get it’. Totally recreating the corporate configuration takes time & requires a specified transitionary process. Certain business functions still need structure, approval & collaboration, and these should be maintained & reinforced. Spend money on the tools that people need to use their jobs, and not so much on aesthetics. Listen to your current & departing employees to try to reduce attrition & turnover. LRN is a great place to work, and what you’re trying to do is commendable, but understand there are growing pains involved. Help us help you realize the vision.

Pros

Wonderful environment, fantastic colleagues, Strong values to shape up professional and personal life

Cons

1. Delay in decision making
2. There is proper process followed.

Advice to Senior Management

Please finalize and share organization goals and objective at the beginning of the year.