The March 2008 issue of Fast Company featured a series of mini segments from various employees at Google. Their stories regarding the collaborative, innovative culture at Google are amazing. The following reflects some of the incredible quotes that reinforces the power open thinking creates and the results it can generate in any organization.
“Innovation…happens everywhere because everybody does research.”
“We let engineers spend 20% of their time working on whatever they want and we trust that they will build interesting things.”
“The ‘Googly’ thing is to launch it early…and then to iterate, learning what the market wants–and making it great.”
“When in doubt do something.”
“Pursue ideas that another company dismisses as outside the realm of possibility.”
“It’s easier to keep moving and change course than when you are sitting and thinking and thinking.”
“People here don’t start with conclusions, they start with questions.”
“There are rocks and a stream. You can either become a rock, and the stream goes around you, or you get in the stream and move things along and start adding value.”
It is quite apparent why Google has become the company that it has. Google encourages and empowers their team to be proactive in exploring, discovering, collaborating, testing, and innovating.
Creating a creative and empowering environment like this is a challenge for most organizations. Google demonstrates it can be done, and done with great effectiveness. Sales Cooke is a huge believer in this approach and am committed that more organizations can create and benefit from this type of cultural model. This is how great organizations are formed.