Almost every employer claims to be a great place to work. The company handbook says they’re committed to teamwork, respect, engagement and collaboration — but, three months after accepting the job, you find out they don’t walk the talk.   

Companies conduct training sessions to reinforce these values, but surveys tell us we still have a large number of disgruntled employees. Management had good intentions when it put those expectations in the handbook, but something went wrong. It just isn’t working.

Management’s typical response is to send everyone back for more training with the hope that it will stick the second time around. Has this approach worked? After struggling with this problem for decades, I think I have finally found an answer. And believe it or not, I found it a second-grade classroom that uses an innovative educational model created by Expeditionary Learning.

Founded 20 years ago, EL is a non-profit organization that currently works collaboratively with more than 160 schools in 33 states. So what does it do differently that could have a positive influence on your corporate culture?

Beginning in elementary school, students are taught how to critique each other’s work. They must follow three rules: They must be kind; they must be specific; they must be helpful.

After listening to feedback from their classmates they go back, make improvements and complete draft No. 2. Then they ask for more feedback before they write draft No. 3 and so on — until they achieve their personal best. They don’t just strive for good; they strive for their personal best. Does this sound like something your organization might be interested in?

If you want to learn more about the EL program, visit elschools .org and/or watch “Austin’s Butterfly: Critique and Feedback” at https://vimeo.com/38247060. You’ll see this concept in action. They continue to use this technique throughout high school. FYI: At EL schools, 100 percent college acceptance is the standard. This year eight EL high schools were included in U.S. News & World Report’s Best High Schools rankings.

This was an “aha” moment for me. We adults are very judgmental when we give feedback. Our conversations become a debate of who’s right and who’s wrong. Instead of presuming positive intentions, we quickly resort to placing blame. Instead of critiquing in a kind, helpful, specific manner, we criticize and tell each other what’s wrong.

At some point even the best employees stop collaborating because they’re tired of the arguments and criticism. Despite our frustrations, most of us don’t want to throw a co-worker under the bus, so nothing is said and nothing is done about it. The training doesn’t help because what we experience every day is what we believe — not the slogans in the employee handbook.

Here’s what I learned from the EL second graders: The kids understand that the critiquing they receive from classmates is the best way to improve and achieve their personal best. The culture is established and they enjoy collaborating. They even have a “Critiquing Center” in the corner of their classroom. Imagine having that at your office.

For most of my career I’ve been critical of the educational system for moving too slowly and resisting change. They’re like a big cruise ship trying to turn, and businesses learn how to change course quickly or else they don’t survive. Well, in this case my hat is off to EL because I believe they’re on the right track and we (the business world) are lagging behind.

The EL model is empowering children to take responsibility for their own learning. These second graders learn how to ask for feedback from their classmates and then use that information to improve the quality of their work. They actually seek out critiquing because it’s done in a kind, specific and — most of all — in a helpful manner. Listen to a bunch of adults talk about work and they’re complaining about the in-fighting, politics and critical attitude of their co-workers.

I’ve been studying management theories for decades, and I never imagined I would learn such a productive strategy from second-graders. A positive work culture is within our grasp. What’s stopping us more than anything else is our need to be right. Swallow your pride for a moment and listen to the advice from the kids. Ask for help, seek critiquing from your co-workers with the intent of making your work the very best it can be. You can do good work alone, but excellence is achievable when we collaborate.

OK, time for recess and cookies!