{"id":2051,"date":"2017-08-23T13:14:23","date_gmt":"2017-08-23T05:14:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ohjames.net\/ohjames\/?p=2051"},"modified":"2017-08-23T13:14:23","modified_gmt":"2017-08-23T05:14:23","slug":"work-rules-insights-from-inside-google-that-will-transform-how-you-live-and-lead-bock-laszlo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ohjames.net\/ohjames\/2017\/08\/work-rules-insights-from-inside-google-that-will-transform-how-you-live-and-lead-bock-laszlo.html","title":{"rendered":"Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead – Bock, Laszlo."},"content":{"rendered":"

Command-oriented, low-freedom management is common because it\u2019s profitable, it requires less effort, and most managers are terrified of the alternative. It\u2019s easy to run a team that does what they are told.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

the right kind of environments will be magnets for the most talented people<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

these decisions is instead made either by a group of peers, a committee, or a dedicated, independent team.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

the default leadership style at Google is one where a manager focuses not on punishments or rewards but on clearing roadblocks and inspiring her team.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

All it takes is a belief that people are fundamentally good\u2014and enough courage to treat your people like owners instead of machines. Machines do their jobs; owners do whatever is needed to make their companies and teams successful.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Bad performers and political people have a toxic effect on an entire team and require substantial management time to coach or exit.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

You never get a second chance to make a first impression\u201d was the tagline for a Head & Shoulders shampoo ad campaign in the 1980s. It unfortunately encapsulates how most interviews work.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

confirmation bias, \u201cthe tendency to search for, interpret, or prioritize information in a way that confirms one\u2019s beliefs or hypotheses.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The best predictor of how someone will perform in a job is a work sample test (29 percent). This entails giving candidates a sample piece of work, similar to that which they would do in the job, and assessing their performance at it.<\/p>\n

The second-best predictors of performance are tests of general cognitive ability (26 percent).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

www.va.gov\/pbi\/questions.asp<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

someone who has done the same task\u2014successfully\u2014for many years is likely to see a situation at Google and replicate the same solution that has worked for them.<\/p>\n

Abraham Maslow wrote: \u201cI suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.\u201d<\/p>\n

curious people who are open to learning will figure out the right answers in almost all cases, and have a much greater chance of creating a truly novel solution.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

four interviews were enough to predict whether or not we should hire someone with 86 percent confidence. Every additional interviewer after the fourth added only 1 percent more predictive power.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

First, assessment is led by Google\u2019s dedicated recruiters rather than line managers.<\/p>\n

Our recruiters are able to route candidates across the entire company, which requires both visibility into all the jobs and an understanding of what they are.<\/p>\n

a subordinate interview a prospective hire. It sends a strong signal to candidates about Google being nonhierarchical, and it also helps prevent cronyism, where managers hire their old buddies for their new teams.<\/p>\n

\u201ccross-functional interviewer,\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Until we hit about twenty thousand employees, most people in the company spent four to ten hours per week on hiring,<\/p>\n

In 2013, with roughly forty thousand people, the average Googler spent one and a half hours per week on hiring,<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Managers hate the idea that they can\u2019t hire their own people.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just want an administrative assistant who can answer the phone and schedule meetings\u2014I don\u2019t need someone brilliant, just someone who can do the work.\u201d But that\u2019s terrible logic.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cPower corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

human beings are wired to defer to authority, seek hierarchy, and focus on their local interest.<\/p>\n

Managers have a tendency to amass and exert power. Employees have a tendency to follow orders.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

he\u2019s showing that even our most senior leaders are just people.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cJim Barksdale, the legendary CEO of Netscape, in one of these management meetings said, \u2018If you have facts, present them and we\u2019ll use them. But if you have opinions, we\u2019re gonna use mine.\u2019 \u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t politick. Use data.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Sample bias<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

essential to demonstrate that our processes are unbiased.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

one-percent tests, where we roll out a change to one percent of users to see what happens before implementing the change for billions of users.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And the engineers, believing that they could design a better one, launched their own competing survey. Its name? The Ecstasy survey, since they of course had to set the bar even higher.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Dublin Goes Dark, where everyone was encouraged to leave work at 6:00 p.m.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For example, we no longer use paper receipts for expense reporting:<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

develop structured interviewing tools to automatically give you reliable interview questions,<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Some will argue that this kind of mass empowerment leads to anarchy , or to a situation where , since everyone\u2019s opinion is valued , anyone can object and derail an effort \u2014 an environment where ten thousand people can say no but no one can say yes . The reality is that every issue needs a decision maker . Managed properly , the result of these approaches is not some transcendent moment of unanimity . Rather , it is a robust , data – driven discussion that brings the best ideas to light , so that when a decision is made , it leaves the dissenters with enough context to understand and respect the rationale for the decision , even if they disagree with the outcome .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201c Micromanagement is mismanagement . \u2026 [ P ] eople micromanage to assuage their anxieties about organizational performance : they feel better if they are continuously directing and controlling the actions of others \u2014 at heart , this reveals emotional insecurity on their part . It gives micromanagers the illusion of control ( or usefulness ) . Another motive is lack of trust in the abilities of staff \u2014 micromanagers do not believe that their colleagues will successfully complete a task or discharge a responsibility even when they say they will . \u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Managers find many reasons not to trust their people.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Organizations put tremendous effort into finding great people but then restrict their ability to have impact on any area but their own tasks.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

people disliked the current system, they disliked every other option even more!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I don\u2019t mind someone being paid more than me if they are contributing more. But if we\u2019re doing the same work and they\u2019re being paid way more, I\u2019ll be mighty unhappy.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As an employee , I can have confidence that people are being promoted based on merit , not politics .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But once you have more than a few hundred people , employees are more comfortable trusting a reliable system than individual managers .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Evaluation is necessary to distribute finite resources , like salary increases or bonus dollars .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Intrinsic motivation is the key to growth.<\/p>\n

Remember the first time you rode a bike, or learned to swim, or drove a car? The thrill of mastery, of accomplishment, is a powerful motivator.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Anything you can measure follows some kind of distribution from low to high, small to big…<\/p>\n

distribution called \u201c normal . \u201d It\u2019s also known as the bell curve<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201c You are in the bottom 5 percent of performers across all of Google . I know that doesn\u2019t feel good . The reason I\u2019m telling you this is that I want to help you grow and get better . \u201d<\/p>\n

Poor performance is rarely because the person is incompetent or a bad person . It\u2019s typically a result of a gap in skill ( which is either fixable or not ) or will ( where the person is not motivated to do the work ) .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201c I\u2019d never be able to do your job . \u201d I said , \u201c You can , but at a place where the demands are different . \u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Occasionally , of course , an underperformer doesn\u2019t want to go . But confronted with the cold reality of how the organization views them , most people leave of their own accord and very often end up at companies where their skills are a better fit and they are more appreciated .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

if you believe people are fundamentally good and worthy of trust , you must be honest and transparent with them .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

relied on data rather than politics to make decisions<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

if we wanted people to be open – minded and change their behaviors , we had to make this a compassionate tool , focused on development rather than rewards and punishment .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

someone , somewhere is going to game the system .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

70 percent of learning should happen through on – the – job experiences , 20 percent through coaching and mentoring , and 10 percent through classroom instruction .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThe best way to learn is to teach…because to teach well , you really have to think about your content . You need mastery of your subject and an elegant way to convey it to someone else…Giving employees the opportunity to teach gives them purpose…passing on knowledge is both inspiring and inspirational .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWork hard , but don\u2019t show off .\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In New York , you see people dressed to impress . In San Francisco , people take pride in wearing a hoodie and jeans to five – star restaurants ( despite glossy magazine reports to the contrary ) .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWe wound up sticking a copyright tag at the bottom of the page , not so much because we needed a copyright on the page , but because it was a way to say \u2018 This is the end . \u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

most companies design compensation systems that encourage the best performers and those with the most potential to quit . Typically , companies might allow salaries to vary from market by plus or minus 20 percent…An average performer might get a 2 \u2013 3 percent salary increase each year , and an exceptional performer might get 5 \u2013 10 percent ,<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

if he could prove that hiring better people resulted in real financial returns , then organizations would focus more energy on doing a better job of hiring .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We wanted to make sure that taking enormous risks wasn\u2019t penalized .<\/p>\n

brilliant failure<\/p>\n

\u201c These are smart kids , but in life they are going to hit walls once in a while .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

when you do reward people , make sure to sprinkle in experiences , not just cash .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

people programs to achieve three goals : efficiency , community , and innovation…not about saying yes to employee ideas.<\/p>\n

All we needed to provide was the culture , where Googlers knew they could suggest new programs and shape their own workplaces .<\/p>\n

 <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

the need for a \u201c third place \u201d beyond the home and office ,<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The reason I can\u2019t point to statistics about the economic value created by having free laundry machines on – site is because I don\u2019t really care .<\/p>\n

We do all this because it\u2019s ( mostly ) easy , rewarding , and it feels right .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

First , there\u2019s the false assumption that they cost money . It\u2019s just not true .<\/p>\n

Second , there may be a fear of entitlement . \u201c If we invite a nail salon to come to our building to do manicures , won\u2019t employees be upset if we later eliminate the program ? \u201d<\/p>\n

Third , managers may fear employees \u2019 rising expectations . If we do \u201c this \u201d today , then the workers will want \u201c that \u201d tomorrow . Again , honest conversation can address the issue before it arises .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s very easy to find reasons to say no . But it\u2019s the wrong answer because it shuts down both employee voice and the chance to learn something new .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

By now , you\u2019d guess that this was a data – driven decision , based on a detailed analysis of Googler happiness , retention , and the costs of the program \u2014 the kind of decision I\u2019ve been advising you to make . But , like the death benefits , we made this call based on instinct .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The cost of having a mom out of the office for an extra couple of months was more than offset by the value of retaining her expertise and avoiding the cost of finding and training a new hire .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Topgrading , 217 found that half of all senior hires fail within eighteen months of starting a new job . At the other end of the employment spectrum , consultant Autumn Krauss found that half of all hourly workers leave new jobs within 120 days .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Even the president of the United States limits the volume of things he needs to think about , so that he can focus on important issues , as he explained to Michael Lewis in Vanity Fair : \u201c \u2018 You\u2019ll see I wear only gray or blue suits , \u2019 [ President Obama ] said . \u2018 I\u2019m trying to pare down decisions . I don\u2019t want to make decisions about what I\u2019m eating or wearing . Because I have too many other decisions to make . \u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u2018 You need to focus your decision – making energy . You need to routinize yourself . You can\u2019t be going through the day distracted by trivia . \u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Research on how people join teams and companies shows that some employees don\u2019t sit idly by , waiting for someone to \u201c onboard them . \u201d Rather , they onboard themselves by reaching out to coworkers , seeking out resources , asking questions , and setting up lunches to build their networks .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That said , it\u2019s money I\u2019m delighted to spend .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Managing your health , and your weight in particular , has all the hallmarks of an impossible task . The results are slow to appear and difficult to observe , so you get little positive feedback . It requires sustained willpower ,<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We certainly eat because we\u2019re hungry , but we also eat because it\u2019s lunchtime or because people around us are eating .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you give employees a voice in running the company , they\u2019ll end up doing things management doesn\u2019t want .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Each time we make changes to Google\u2019s performance management system , two truths become self – evident : No one likes the system . No one likes the proposed change to the current system .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A side effect of untrammeled freedom is a flood of ideas .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

we were trying to do too many things at the same time , and as a result weren\u2019t doing any of them as well as we could . He began leading an annual spring cleaning , shutting down products that weren\u2019t gaining traction<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Some wondered whether this new \u201c top – down \u201d focus on deciding which products live or die meant that our values had changed .<\/p>\n

The key to balancing individual freedom with overall direction is to be transparent . People need to understand the rationales behind each action that might otherwise be viewed as a step down the slippery slope that leads you away from your values .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201c You can\u2019t please all of the people all of the time \u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Not every problem can be resolved with data . Reasonable people can look at the same set of facts and disagree , particularly<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

sparking a debate should never be a crime .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Organizations build immense bureaucracies to control their people . These control structures are an admission that people can\u2019t be trusted .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Command-oriented, low-freedom management is common because it\u2019s profitable, it requires less effort, and most managers are terrified of the alternative. It\u2019s easy to run a team that does what they are told. the right kind of environments will be magnets for the most talented people these decisions is instead made either by a group of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[],"tags":[5],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ohjames.net\/ohjames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2051"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ohjames.net\/ohjames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ohjames.net\/ohjames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ohjames.net\/ohjames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ohjames.net\/ohjames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2051"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/ohjames.net\/ohjames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2051\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2052,"href":"http:\/\/ohjames.net\/ohjames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2051\/revisions\/2052"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ohjames.net\/ohjames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ohjames.net\/ohjames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ohjames.net\/ohjames\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}