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Standard : Delivery achievements and learning moments are celebrated equally

Purpose and Strategic Importance

This standard ensures that both delivery successes and learning moments—especially those arising from failure—are recognised and valued across teams. Celebrating outcomes and insights together reinforces a growth mindset, encourages psychological safety, and embeds learning into the culture of delivery.

It supports our policy to “Celebrate Delivery Wins, Learn from Failures” by acknowledging that learning is as valuable as output. Without this standard, teams may avoid discussing failure, miss improvement opportunities, and limit innovation through risk aversion.

Strategic Impact

  • Builds a culture of appreciation, motivation, and continuous improvement
  • Encourages experimentation by reducing fear of failure
  • Improves team morale and engagement through meaningful recognition
  • Surfaces learning opportunities that drive system-wide improvement
  • Promotes balanced celebration of outcomes and learning over output alone

Risks of Not Having This Standard

  • Failure is hidden, leading to missed learning opportunities
  • Teams feel pressure to appear successful rather than be transparent
  • Positive behaviours such as experimentation and improvement go unrewarded
  • Delivery becomes a performance rather than a learning process
  • Team morale and psychological safety decline over time

CMMI Maturity Model

Level 1 – Initial

Category Description
People & Culture - Success is celebrated inconsistently and only for high-profile deliveries.
- Failures are avoided or downplayed.
Process & Governance - No formal recognition of learning moments or process improvements.
- Team rituals focus solely on metrics or outcomes.
Technology & Tools - Recognition is ad hoc, relying on individuals or managers.
Measurement & Metrics - No measurement of team morale, recognition, or learning impact.

Level 2 – Managed

Category Description
People & Culture - Teams begin acknowledging effort and collaboration.
- Some discussion of learning from failures during retrospectives.
Process & Governance - Delivery achievements are shared in sprint reviews or demos.
- Informal learning stories are occasionally surfaced.
Technology & Tools - Team channels or dashboards highlight selected successes.
Measurement & Metrics - Basic tracking of completed work or sprint goals.

Level 3 – Defined

Category Description
People & Culture - Both delivery milestones and learning experiences are routinely recognised.
- Teams feel safe discussing what didn’t go as planned.
Process & Governance - Retrospectives and demos include space for celebrating learning.
- Continuous improvement is celebrated alongside velocity and outcomes.
Technology & Tools - Tools or channels are used to document and share improvements and lessons learned.
Measurement & Metrics - Team feedback and recognition events are reviewed for balance and frequency.

Level 4 – Quantitatively Managed

Category Description
People & Culture - Recognition practices are intentional and supported by leadership.
- Teams share their learning moments across delivery streams.
Process & Governance - Regular ceremonies include peer-nominated acknowledgements.
- Learning stories are documented and reviewed as part of delivery reviews.
Technology & Tools - Tools track improvement logs, learning events, and delivery highlights.
Measurement & Metrics - Recognition coverage, participation, and learning-to-output ratio are measured.

Level 5 – Optimising

Category Description
People & Culture - Teams continually evolve how success and learning are celebrated.
- Learning outcomes influence delivery strategy and coaching practices.
Process & Governance - Learning moments influence strategic retrospectives and org-level change.
- Success is defined not just by output, but by growth and impact.
Technology & Tools - Dashboards and narrative summaries highlight learning culture across the org.
Measurement & Metrics - Celebration impact on team health, innovation, and retention is tracked.

Key Measures

  • % of retrospectives or demos that include recognition of learning
  • Number of learning stories shared vs. delivery stories
  • Team perception of recognition fairness and balance (via surveys)
  • Inclusion of improvement efforts in team achievements
  • Visibility and sharing of learning moments across the organisation
Associated Policies
Associated Practices
  • Cross-Functional Team Composition

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