The Learning House Way is intended to be intentional about creating a culture that reflects what we at Learning House want to be as a company. As we look to grow and scale our business even further, we need to be even more intentional about the type of culture we want to have.
3. Learning House partners with colleges
and universities to help them thrive in a
new world where outcomes-based,
market driven programs are essential to
survival. Our technology-based services
for the entire student lifecycle include
market research, marketing, enrollment,
student success, instructional design,
LMS and technical support, and faculty
training. The revenue-share-based
partnership creates an exceptional
faculty and student experience that
delivers above-average retention and
graduation rates and allows colleges and
universities to focus on their core
mission of delivering innovative teaching
and learning experiences.
What
Does
Learning
House
Do?
4. The Purpose of
This Document
Knowledge empowers us all. If we all know what
is expected of us then together, we can create
a culture that works. This document, known as
the Learning House Way, is meant to be a
roadmap to success.
This is still a work in progress. It will inform how
we make decisions, what policies we adopt as a
company and clear our path forward.
5. How to Use
This Document
The Learning House Way is not meant to be
prescriptive or to change who you are. Instead,
it is meant to help you make decisions and
understand how, and why, we work.
6. The Ideal TLH
Team Member…
• Has a growth mindset
• Is a servant leader
• Intentionally practices the Learning House Way
7. …Practices Being a
Team Member?
Living the Learning House Way is more than just
reading a document. It’s a deliberate choice to
take actions that abide by the code, even when
it feels uncomfortable. That’s why it’s a practice;
it’s not always easy, there’s always room to
improve, but it is always worth it.
8. Our Cultural Code
Every place that has people together has a
culture. But we wanted to be intentional about
what our culture was and how to embody it. And
we wanted to communicate our culture clearly,
so we can hold each accountable and ensure our
decision-making is aligned with our principles.
Some of what is outlined in this document is
aspirational, but we are consistently striving to
live by the Learning House Way.
9. Who Is This For?
Our team members are the biggest asset
and most important stakeholders at TLH.
Hiring the right people and empowering
them to grow and add value will naturally
increase shareholder and customer value.
10. How It Started
It took a lot of introspection and asking
some hard questions but eventually,
fundamental values emerged.
These are the primary colors of Learning
House, and they inform everything we do.
11. Inputs and Outputs
It can be easy to know what outputs are
wanted: more revenue, a productive and
satisfied team, an environment of trust.
What inputs does it take to achieve these goals?
That’s what this document tries to address.
12. Why Primary Colors?
The primary colors are the foundation
of all other colors. Individually, they are
strong. When combined, they make
every color on the spectrum.
16. What Is Growth?
People with a growth
mindset enjoy challenges,
strive to learn and
consistently see potential
to develop skills.
17. Why Is
Growth
One of Our
Primary
Colors?
We value growth that is
about bettering yourself,
the customer and the world.
18. What Does
Growth
Look Like
for TLH?
There’s always room for
improvement. As a
company, we want…
• Growth for our students
• Growth for our partner
schools
• Growth for our individual
team members
• Growth for our company
19. Developing
Fanatical Discipline
To be sustainable, growth must be tempered
with fanatical discipline. Those who practice
fanatical discipline have an unwavering
commitment to high performance and can
thrive even in chaotic times.
Fanatical discipline requires taking a long-term
view and making choices that yield results not
just today, but in the future.
20. The 20-Mile March
The 20-Mile March is a way of pushing for an
audacious goal while also practicing the self-
discipline needed to not overextend. It is a
metaphor for how a person–and a company–
can push to do better and achieve more, while
at the same time being sustainable for long-term
growth. Everyone should understand the 20-Mile
March of the company and their department.
21. Seven Characteristics
of a 20-Mile March
• Understands the lowest amount of acceptable achievement
• Has self-imposed constraints
• Is unique to the environment
• Can be achieved individually or as a group
• Has a timeline that is neither too short nor too long
• Is self-directed and self-developed
• Is pursued with fanatical consistency
22. Those Who Live
the Growth Value…
Don’t say “But we’ve always done it this
way.” Instead, they find ways to improve
processes and make things better.
23. Those Who Live
the Growth Value…
Constantly strive to get better at
what they do and how they do it.
24. Those Who Live
the Growth Value…
Consistently give direct, constructive
feedback to people to encourage
improvement.
25. Those Who Live
the Growth Value…
Have an unwavering commitment
to high performance.
27. What Is Total
Ownership?
Total ownership means taking
responsibility for your actions
and their consequences, good
and bad. That also means
taking a long-term view of
situations and seeking to
create sustainable solutions
that will have a lasting impact.
Think of it as the difference
between renting a house or
owning a home: those who
own are responsible for
maintenance, upkeep and all
the incidentals, but also get to
shape that home into a place
that reflects their life.
28. Why Is
Total
Ownership
One of Our
Primary
Colors?
Total ownership means
we can trust people to
do what they say and say
what they mean; we call
this the “say-do ratio.”
We spend more time
solving problems than
shifting blame, and we
focus on delivering the
best service possible to
drive growth.
29. Those Who Live the
Total Ownership Value…
Do what they say they will do.
30. Those Who Live the
Total Ownership Value…
Take the long view. They make
decisions that will resonate for
decades to come, not just what
will be easiest in the short-term.
31. Those Who Live the
Total Ownership Value…
Take responsibility for their
actions, and their consequences.
32. Those Who Live the
Total Ownership Value…
Are willing to take risks.
Those who understand what growth
looks like and own the consequences
of their projects have room to take
risks and try new things.
34. What Is Servant
Leadership?
Servant leadership
means putting other
people first, always.
Successful servant
leaders focus on
helping others achieve
their goals, and thus,
are able to accomplish
their own goals.
35. Why Is
Servant
Leadership
One of Our
Primary
Colors?
Every TLH team member
is a leader, whether it’s by
managing their projects
or a team. By serving
others and helping them
achieve their goals, we
set an example for those
around us, and help
everyone be the best
version of themselves.
36. Those Who Are
Servant Leaders…
Bring passion to what they do.
Passion breeds passion. Successful servant
leaders are always ready to give their best,
no matter what adversity sits in front of them.
42. A Word
About
Mistakes
There are good mistakes and
bad mistakes.
Good mistakes happen
because someone took a
risk, tried something new,
and informed people as
soon as the mistake
happened.
Bad mistakes are mistakes
that have been made before,
and those are not tolerated.
43. Those Who Are
Servant Leaders…
Bring passion to what they do.
Passion breeds passion. Successful servant
leaders are always ready to give their best,
no matter what adversity sits in front of them.
44. Those Who Are
Servant Leaders…
Are accountable for their actions and
hold others to the same standard.
46. What Are
Secondary
Colors?
While the primary colors are
the basis of what we do, they
do not paint the whole picture.
There are other values that
are important.
50. Why Is
Humility
One of Our
Secondary
Colors?
No one is perfect. But those
who think they are can do more
damage than anyone. These
are the people who will hide
mistakes, shift blame and
spend more time explaining
why they can’t do work than
actually doing work. These are
the people who create a culture
no one wants to work in.
57. Why Is
Transparency
One of Our
Secondary
Colors?
Transparency is a two-
way street. Knowing
why decisions are
made helps everyone
work smarter and feel
confident in their
choices.
65. Why Is
Celebration
One of Our
Secondary
Colors?
Part of being a team is
showing appreciation. It can
be easy, when everyone is
busy and focused on the
next big project, to overlook
our wins. But when we
integrate celebration into
our daily lives, we build a
stronger community.
71. Why Is
Communication
One of Our
Secondary
Colors?
Transparency, honesty,
ownership…all of
our values rely on
open and honest
communication to be
executed properly.
73. Those Who
Communicate…
Make an effort to find alignment and
connect with others. Communication is a
two-way street, and everyone has a right–
and an obligation–to drive down that road.
82. What Is
Self-Awareness?
Self-Awareness is the
glue that other values
rely on. It’s how we
course correct and
ensure we know what
we did well, what we
can do better and how
we can change.
83. Why Is
Self-Awareness
One of Our
Secondary
Colors?
Self-Awareness means
you know when you
need to ask for help, or
when you have the skills
to take a risk. It means
we can trust your
judgment, and it means
we can help meet you
where you are to
improve your skills.
87. Is This You?
• Confident but not cocky
• Courageous but not foolhardy
• Competitive but a gracious loser
• Attentive to details but not obsessed by them
• Strong but has endurance
• A leader and a follower
• Humble but not passive
• Aggressive but not overbearing
• Quiet but not robotic
• Logical but not devoid of emotions
• Recognizes people’s capacity for growth
Here are the characteristics of the ideal TLH team member:
88. Ask Yourself…
• Is this driving growth?
• Is this demonstrating total ownership?
• Am I being a servant leader right now?
Before taking action, ask yourself: