08_Valeria

=Valeria's Page=

Key discoveries about Google from The Google Story, by David A. Vise. Delta NonFiction 2008

 * 1) Google's founders have always maintained what the book calls: "A healthy disregard for the impossible" (p.11) - this aptitude towards finding solutions to problems that others overlook or consider not important permeates the company's culture from its inception.
 * 2) Google's fame came as a result of word of mouth - the company has never invested in $$$ to promote its image or services. This also relates to the fact that the company continues to focus on its goal to provide users around the world with the best search engine possible.
 * 3) Prior to becoming a publicly owned company, the founders, Page and Brin, went about their Google business with the idea that they would find supporters, get as much access to as many funds as possible to pursue their idea while also retaining all the decision powers in the company. Again, this approach spoke to the fact that when Google was created it was set to achieve a goal which was not economic feasibility or profit growth.
 * 4) One really critical point about the founders is their relationship with the Burning Man - http://www.burningman.com/  - which speaks directly to their idea of creating a culture in their organization which had a rigidly non-commercial nature.
 * 5) "The harsh physical environment challenged Larry, Sergey and other participants. THey had to rely on each other to survive. By encouraging sharing and teamwork the atmosphere at Burning Man contained elements of the culture they were creating at Google." (p.74)
 * 6) Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google was reluctantly hired (on both ends not a love at first site) in 2000 - it tool the company two years to select a pilot that would help them steer the business in the right direction and set the guidelines for operations. Given the success of the company this seems a peculiar set of events. The company started as the base idea formed, and the founders kept true to their goals, even without a clear business approach.

From Takeaways from Google, Trish Maguire, Canadian HR Reporter; September 20, 2010; 23, 16; ABI/INFORM Global
The one pager about Google impact on management styles all over the world include the following:


 * It seems that Google approach to management circles around the idea that theirs is a leadership of influence and not of position. Google understands that creative and independent thinking of its employees is its core asset. Maguire states that: "It's all about freeing people to exercise their full potential within their teams and projects." (Maguire, 2010). Her brief article brings about a number of interesting questions for any company. These questions speak to the commitment of managers to hiring the right people and then trust them to do what they are most capable of. To rewards in the company that truly speak to the celebration of innovation at its core. To meetings that invigorate staff instead of being "top-down" show and tell moments. Google really seems to have taken these directions to heart. Its key teams remain small in number of individuals, even though the company grows globally. People commit one day a week to their heart's projects - and even when these projects do not shape to become commercially viable initiatives the company still celebrates and values the learning experience that they produce.

From Karen Gorsline, Canadian HR Reporter, Page 15 (same source as above)

 * She speaks specifically to Google's three guiding principles for innovation: ubiquity; transparency and agility. Google backs up its stand for these principles with immense investments on its own resources (human resources). "If something is not working the truth is out there. People may innovate to find a solution, or where a situation is not recoverable, celebrate the mistake and the learning that comes with it." (Gorsline, 2010). This commitment speaks as well to the idea that communication channels are truly open; that doors to ideas must be kept available as learning occurs in the successes as well as in the trials that lead to no economic returns. The most interesting note from her brief article is possibly the following: "Google approaches employee engagement the same way it approaches its overall business - like creativity - it can't be managed....[...] it must flourish!" (2010).

From Searching for Success, Gareth Vorster, Personnel Today, Nov. 27, 2007; ABI/INFORM Global page 22

 * This article is a bit dated, given the year of publication, but it speaks very clearly to the essential role that Google puts its hiring department in. Speaking to Liane Hornsey, HR Director of Google at the time, we learn that the company puts a lot of energy and resources into the front end, i.e., the human resources department, with the conviction that once a person is hired the company truly intends to keep them for the long run. " Many of our managers - at all levels - spend a significant amount of time hiring. We hire by consensus." (Vorster, 2007). The value of the importance of the hiring process, selecting the perfect candidates for the right position, combined with the goal of maintaining and fostering an atmosphere that resembles very closely the idea of a university campus, seems to be a winning formula, even for a company that is growing to global scale.

On an information note - to keep in mind that in 2008 Google set up **Google.org** which is a non-profit off-shoot of the company, which in 2008 counted on $30 million in grants and investments with a philanthropic direction. The Wall Street Journal called it the other side of the corporate motto of "Don't be evil" - with the positive spin of "Do Good!" (Kevin J. Delaney, Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition). New York:January 18, 2008, Page B1.

From Google: Searching for Value. Ronald Kunzte, Erika Matulich. JOurnal of Case Research in Business and Economics, 2010.
Some interesting points from this case study article (thanks to Tanis)


 * Google instills in its employees the credo that it isn’t about the money- rather that theirs is a lifestyle that breeds innovative superiority over the competition. (Page 2) - This may speak as yet one added piece of evidence that the heart of Google's leadership style is getting at the core values that drive employees to give their best to the company, knowing that the company will truly do what it can to foster and atmosphere of support, creativity and innovation, not just in what many have come to call "the fluff", the extras, but with true processes and structures.
 * Working for Google truly means embracing the company's goals and making them part of one's lifestyle. Maybe that is why the company takes such unbelievably good care of its employees, with unheard of working environments, phenomenal benefit packages and support for family members. It seems the company places it money where it knows its employees will most appreciate it, before asking for extended commitment to long working hours and project completion terms.
 * On a personal note, I do not work for Google, but I still put extremely long working hours and my office space has no windows! ((
 * The article also provides plenty of numbers around HR costs, length of hiring processes, value of company in the eyes of its employees, recession numbers, etc.
 * As Tanis shared with me, the article does provide a phenomenal reference list, [|searchingForValue.pdf].