8/13/2019 Google Oxygen - Teaching Notes

1/3

GOOGLE PROJECT OXYGEN

SOME INSIGHTS

Google recently went publc wt! t!e re"ult" o# t" Project Oxygenre"e$rc! to %ent#y t!e

pr$ctce" o# Google&" be"t tec!nc$l '$n$ger"( T!er $ppro$c! c$lle% #or $ study of 100 variablesby data-mining performance reviews and internal surveys( L$")lo *oc+, Google&" -ce Pre"%ent

#or People Oper$ton", "u''e% up t!e #n%ng" w!en !e "$% t!e 'o"t 'port$nt #$ctor t!ey

%ent#e% w$" .'$+ng t!$t connecton/ between t!e '$n$ger $n% t!e e'ployee( Google " rg!t

t!$t t!e '$n$ger0e'ployee connecton " 'port$nt, but t&" only p$rt o# t!e "tory(

T!$t&" w!$t I tol% Google&" le$%er" w!en I pre"ente% $t t!e Googleple1 n 2334 $" p$rt o# t!e

Le$%ng5Google Sere"( In 2332, I #r"t recogn)e% t!$t e'ployee" w!o g$6e t!er be"t e##ort"

$n% $lgne% t!er be!$6or wt! org$n)$ton$l go$l" #re7uently u"e% t!e wor% .connecton/ to

%e"crbe w!y t!ey were "o #re% up $bout t!er wor+( Snce t!$t t'e, 'y colle$gue" $n% I !$6e

been %ent#yng t!e 'ultplcty o# w$y" t!$t gre$t le$%er" n bu"ne"", go6ern'ent, t!e "oc$l

"ector $n% "port" connect wt! t!e people t!ey le$% to $c!e6e "u"t$n$ble "uperor per#or'$nce(

In 2338, we publ"!e% our #n%ng" $bout connecton n t!e boo+ Fired Up or Burned Out(

9#ter o# ne$rly $ %ec$%e o# "tu%yng connecton, I&6e co'e to bele6e t " one o# t!e 'o"t

power#ul $n% yet le$"t un%er"too% $"pect" o# org$n)$ton$l per#or'$nce( In t!e bu"ne""

conte1t, t!e #eelng o# connecton between '$n$ge'ent, e'ployee" $n% cu"to'er" pro6%e" $

co'pett6e $%6$nt$ge( :nle"" t!e people w!o $re p$rt o# $ bu"ne"" #eel $ "en"e o# connecton

;$ bon% w!c! pro'ote" tru"t, cooper$ton $n% e"prt %e corp";t!ey wll ne6er re$c! t!er

potent$l $" n%6%u$l e'ployee", nor wll t!e org$n)$ton re$c! t" potent$l(

9n org$n)$ton wt! $ !g! %egree o# connecton bree%" e'ployee" w!o $re 'ore eng$ge%,

'ore pro%uct6e n t!er !en connecton "

pre"ent, we #eel energy, e'p$t!y, $##r'$ton $n% $re 'ore open( >!en t " $b"ent, we

e1perence neutr$l or e6en neg$t6e #eelng"( 9lt!oug! we +now w!$t t&" l+e to #eel connecte%

on $ per"on$l le6el, #ew $'ong u" un%er"t$n% t!e e##ect connecton !$" on u" $n% on t!e

org$n)$ton" we wor+ n(

Re#lectng on 'y per"on$l $n% pro#e""on$l e1perence" $n% on t!e re"e$rc! I&6e re$% $n%

con%ucte% '$%e 'e re$l)e t!ree t!ng"?

8/13/2019 Google Oxygen - Teaching Notes

2/3

@r"t, connecton " $ power#ul #orce t!$t cre$te" $ po"t6e bon% between people b$"e%

on bot! r$ton$l $n% e'oton$l #$ctor"(

Secon%, connecton contrbute" to brngng out t!e be"t n people;t energ)e" t!e',

'$+e" t!e' 'ore tru"tng $n% re"lent to #$ce l#e&" ne6t$ble %##culte"(

T!r%, connecton c$n 6$ry tre'en%ou"ly $cro"" org$n)$ton" %epen%ng upon loc$l

culture $n% le$%er"!p(

>!$t " t $bout connecton t!$t '$+e" t "o power#ul= >t!out gong too #$r nto t!e p"yc!ologyo# connecton, let 'e e

!$6e e'oton"( >e !$6e !ope" $n% %re$'"( >e !$6e $ con"cence( >e !$6e co''on %eeply

#elt !u'$n nee%"? to be re"pecte%A to be recogn)e% #or our t$lent"A to belongA to !$6e $utono'y

or control o6er our wor+A to e1perence per"on$l growt!A to %o wor+ t!$t we #eel " wort!w!le n $

w$y t!$t we #eel " et!c$l( >!en we wor+ n $n en6ron'ent t!$t recogn)e" t!e"e re$lte" o# our

!u'$n n$ture, we t!r6e( >e #eel 'ore energetc, 'ore opt'"tc, $n% 'ore #ully $l6e( >!en we

wor+ n $n en6ron'ent t!$t #$l" to recogn)e t!", t " %$'$gng to our 'ent$l $n% p!y"c$l

!e$lt!(

@or t!o"e o# you w!o "ee t!e 6$lue o# connecton, I w$nt to "!ow you !ow you c$n brng t out n

t!e wor+pl$ce by cre$tng $ .Connecton Culture/;$ culture wt! t!e nece""$ry ele'ent" to 'eetour !u'$n nee%"( T!e core ele'ent" o# $ Connecton Culture t!$t 'eet t!e"e !u'$n nee%" $re

6"on, 6$lue, $n% 6oce(

Vision

T!e #r"t ele'ent o# $ Connecton Culture " 6"on( -"on e1"t" w!en e6eryone n $n

org$n)$ton " 'ot6$te% by t!e org$n)$ton&" '""on, unte% by t" 6$lue", $n% prou% o# t"

reput$ton( >!en people "!$re $ purpo"e or "et o# bele#" t!ey&re prou% o#, t unte" $n% 'ot6$te"

t!e'(

9t Google, '$ny e'ployee" connect wt! t" '""on to .org$n)e t!e worl%&" n#or'$ton $n%

'$+e t $cce""ble $n% u"$ble(/ T!e"e Googler" un%er"t$n% t!$t Google&" "e$rc! engne wll !elp

c!$nge t!e worl% by '$+ng people "'$rter $n% better %ec"on0'$+er"( T!ey $re 'ot6$te% by

t!$t pro"pect( Googler" $re $l"o unte% by t" 6$lue" t!$t nclu%e .%o no e6l/ $n% t" .Googley/

"tyle, w!c! ncorpor$te" t!e 6$lue" o# beng $ut!entc, genune, #un, $n% curou"( *eng Googley

te" n to Google&" p$""on #or t" 'o%ern, brg!t $n% color#ul 6"u$l %entty t!$t " ncorpor$te% n

e6eryt!ng #ro' t" web"te $n% wrtten '$ter$l" to t" nteror o##ce %e"gn $n% bul%ng

$rc!tecture( Google&" reput$ton connect" wt! Googler" n "e6er$l re"pect"( T!e #r' " well0

+nown $" one o# t!e 'o"t nno6$t6e co'p$ne" glob$lly( It !$" $ reput$ton #or !rng "'$rt

people, $n% t " recogn)e% #or !$6ng one o# t!e be"t wor+pl$ce" n t!e worl%( 9ll o# t!" '$+e"

t" t$lent #eel prou% to be $""oc$te% wt! Google(

Value

T!e "econ% ele'ent o# $ Connecton Culture " t!$t people $re truly 6$lue%( My colle$gue" $n% I

re#er to t!" ele'ent n $ culture "'ply $" .6$lue(/ It 'e$n" t!$t e6eryone n $n org$n)$ton

un%er"t$n%" t!e un6er"$l n$ture o# people, $pprec$te" t!e un7ue contrbuton o# e$c! per"on,

$n% !elp" t!e' $c!e6e t!er potent$l( -$lue $l"o nclu%e" protectng people #ro' $bu"e" "uc!

$" wor+pl$ce nc6lty, "e1u$l '"con%uct or pre

8/13/2019 Google Oxygen - Teaching Notes

3/3

9t Google, re"e$rc! "!ow" t!$t e'ployee" #eel 6$lue% # t!ey connect wt! t!er '$n$ger(

GoogleB" Pro!en people&" %e$" $n%

opnon" $re "oug!t $n% con"%ere%, t !elp" 'eet t!e !u'$n nee%" #or re"pect, recognton $n%

belongng( .*eng n t!e loop,/ "o to "pe$+, '$+e" people #eel connecte% to t!er colle$gue",