{"id":25429,"date":"2022-03-09T14:12:59","date_gmt":"2022-03-09T14:12:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.talogy.com\/how-to-build-a-culture-like-googles-even-if-you-arent-google-2\/"},"modified":"2025-09-17T08:23:58","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T08:23:58","slug":"how-to-build-a-culture-like-googles-even-if-you-arent-google-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/talogy.com\/en-gb\/blog\/how-to-build-a-culture-like-googles-even-if-you-arent-google-2\/","title":{"rendered":"How to build a culture like Google’s (even if you aren’t Google)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When you think of the \u201cbest place to work\u201d, where comes to mind? For many of us, I would imagine Google surfaces rather quickly. We start picturing ergonomic lounge chairs, gourmet lunches, on-site laundry, and other conveniences. It must be so easy for them to attract and retain top talent, right? I mean really, who wouldn\u2019t want to work there? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What we often overlook is that Google wasn\u2019t always that way \u2013 there was a time when Google was young, when the company didn\u2019t have the incredible resources it has now. In his book Work Rules!, Laszlo Bock (head of Google\u2019s People Operations) reminds us that, \u201cFun is an outcome of who we [Google] are, rather than the defining characteristic.\u201d The novelty of perks, prizes, and tangible rewards wear off rather quickly. What attracts candidates and sustains employee loyalty is the shared experiences, energy, and atmosphere of your company. It\u2019s the passion, not the perks, that culture is built upon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how do you develop a buzz-worthy culture, oozing with \u201cTop Places to Work\u201d potential? According to Laszlo, there are three essential building blocks: Mission, Transparency, and Voice\u2014and all can be accomplished on a very small\u00a0budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mission<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When the organisation\u2019s mission is tied to a business goal, it becomes achievable. But as Laszlo points out, when your mission is tied to business goals (think: market share, profits, customer satisfaction), you may eventually accomplish them\u2026 and then what? On the other hand, if the mission has moral motivations, there is no \u201cend\u201d. The organisation\u2019s mission becomes a journey, rather than a destination. And there\u2019s a lot of power in that sort of purpose! By linking employees\u2019 work back to a greater mission, you help them see the significance and impact of their work on a grander scale; something they can consistently strive for no matter their level in the organisation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an example, Google\u2019s mission statement is \u201cto organise the world\u2019s information and make it universally accessible and useful\u201d. It\u2019s simple, unachievable in the good sense, and assumes its own value (no \u201cin order to\u2019s\u201d here). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does that compare to your organisation\u2019s mission? Is your mission impossible to achieve? Does it motivate individuals to find meaning in their work, or perhaps encourage them to define new goals and innovative ways to carry out that mission, regardless of their actual position? If not, it might be time to review it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transparency<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\n\nLaszlo describes Google as \u201cdefault to open\u201d. This can be a bit contrary to the way companies typically operate; our tendency is to start by deciding what to share with employees. Our underlying belief here is: information needs to be protected from employees. Instead, if our default is to share all and from there restrict only what\u2019s absolutely necessary, we operate under a fundamentally different belief: employees are trustworthy and have good judgement. This type of transparency has three major benefits:\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Building trust<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Reducing redundancy across teams<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Encouraging and soliciting feedback on new products, solutions, and directions<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    \n\nThis culture of openness removes the need for employees to speculate and assume; it squashes the fear that comes with the unknown. At the same time, it fosters a collaborative culture where people have the opportunity to learn from and challenge each other.\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Voice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    As you increase transparency, you also have to give employees a voice; the power and the platform to suggest and then act on changes which better the organisation. After all, the point of transparency is not for transparency\u2019s sake \u2013 it\u2019s to give people a sense of ownership in sustaining the organisation\u2019s culture and, ultimately, a stake in the organisation\u2019s success. It may sound scary, but the goal is to give employees a real say in how the company is run. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These don\u2019t always need to be formally organised (\u00e0 la town-hall style meetings or surveys). Sometimes all you need are environments where employees can break away from their desks (organically!) to share reactions, spark creativity, and propose improvements. Laszlo shares a few simple ways that Google encourages and supports these \u201ccasual collisions\u201d among employees: <\/p>\n\n\n\n