Developing Generation G Googlers

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Developing Generation G (Googlers!)

• Paul Russell and Julie Clow
• Learning 2008

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Google is more than what youve read about
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Being "Googley" means

• being able to work effectively in a flat
  organization and in small teams, able to respond
  to a fast-paced rapidly changing, ambiguous
  environment. Googlers are passionate about their
  work. They solve problems creatively and
  collaboratively, with all levels of the
  organization. Googlers are ethical and
  communicate openly, and can be serious without a
  suit. They are well-rounded and bring unique
  interests and talents to innovate in the work
  they do, and love the challenge of making the
  world a better place.

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Generational Thinking is flawed

• Pros
• Its easy, and makes logical sense
• Acknowledges that events/times shape peoples
  perspective on things and they bring this
  perspective to work

• Cons
• Can become self-fulfilling, like a horoscope
  do 100M people really share the same
  characteristics?
• Not multi-cultural very U.S. and Caucasian
  based. Difficult to apply to culturally /
  ethnically diverse companies

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Whats So Different About Google and Googlers?

• Traditional Model
• Top Down Mandate-driven Hierarchical
  structure
• Senior executives are the leaders
• Individualistic Hero model
• Special treatment for Hi-Pos
• Strive to gain clarity Clear ownership of
  specific job accountabilities

• Google
• Bottom Up Consensus-driven Flat structure
• Leaders at all levels best idea wins
• Small teams Collaboration rules!
• Were all Hi-Pos Dont call it out
• Comfort with ambiguity Googlers abhor a
  vacuum if you see a need, fill it!

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Whats So Different About Google and Googlers?

• Traditional Model
• Adjust to / thrive in the company
• Manager as, well, manager provides direction
• Perfect it before you roll it out then
  prepare to defend!
• LD opps as a scarce resource
• Career Paths

• Google
• Change the world
• Manager as advocate and enabler I want freedom
  to figure it out for myself
• Launch (and fail) early and often invite and
  rely on users to help perfect it
• Learning-rich environment for all
• Career Adventures

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Questions so far?What do you really want to
know about Google and Googlers?
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Developing Generation G

• The Google Perspective

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So What Does All That Mean For Us?

• Program Design Implications

LD at Google is a Work in Progress!!!
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Design Implications

• 1. Mindset Its all about the Learner (not the
  Teacher)
• 2. Learning is a powerful vehicle for cultural
  preservation change
• 3. Democratize learning and teaching! 
• 4. Fast and fluid program design
• 5. Form and Function - How it is delivered
  matters a lot
• 6. Grow the whole person

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Discussion

• Should democratic learning supplement or replace
  formal learning?
• Think Learning 2.0 (or 3.0 depending on how you
  count!)
• Where does Instructional Design fit into this
  picture?
• Are Classrooms dead? Should they be?
• With the new technologies that have come about
  in the past 5000 years well okay, lets say
  just in the past 10 years cant we do better?
• How can we meet the Scaling Challenge?
• How can we do a better job of bringing live,
  interactive learning to people in regionally
  distributed offices?
• How is your corporate culture reflected in your
  learning programs?
• How have you customized your learning programs to
  fit better within your culture?
• University Courses are only part of the answer!
  What else can you do tomorrow to make your
  corporations overall learning environment
  richer? If you could, how could you leverage
  that?

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Questions?
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Extra Slides
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Design Implications A Few Things

• 1. Mindset Its all about the Learner (not the
  Teacher)
• Learning should be driven by Googlers' needs and
  preferences
• Mandatory is a 4-letter word at Google!
• Dont push it Pull model rules! Assume they
  know what they need
• Immediate information / access to know-how is
  key
• Teachable moment when they need it, theyll be
  motivated to learn it!
• Availability when and where it is needed
• The big problem with programs is timing
  Googlers want it NOW

From My Experiences and Observations Not
Formal Research!
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Design Implications

• 2. Learning is a powerful vehicle for cultural
  preservation change
• Embed cultural values in everything we do
  preserve the unique culture and support its
  evolution
• Build understanding
• Enhance feelings of affiliation and pride and
  increase retention!

School of Google Life Culture
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Design Implications

• 3. Democratize learning and teaching! 
• Googlers teaching Googlers (G2G) is hot!
• Smart people come here to learn from other
  Googlers!
• The chance to teach motivates Googlers
• External experts work best when paired with
  Internal Googler(s)
• Googlers grasp the cultural nuances very tough
  for vendors
• Coming Internal expert source match-making -
  On-demand learning
• G2G makes great use of the intellectual
  potential of our workforce
• Showcases the diversity of our talents
• Highly scalable and easy to localize and keep
  relevant for distributed
  offices/regions

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G2G Sample Courses

• The Bicycle Wheel (with a build your own lab)
• 3D Animation
• Open Source A Comprehensive History, with
  Gossip
• Theory and Practice of Cryptography
• Improve with Improv
• Screenwriting
• Terroir The Geology Wines of California
• G2G is not a content area but rather a
  delivery philosophy

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Design Implications

• 4. Fast and fluid program design
• Faster is better than slower! Launch iterate
  and iterate and iterate
• Prefer "Lab" or "Workshop" over "Program"
• Ability to help shape the content is important to
  Google learners (Open Source philosophy applies
  to learning!)
• Build it and they will come especially if they
  help build it!
• Obligation to make it better for next group
  each program will be different
• 5. Form and Function - How it is delivered
  matters a lot
• Non-Googley programs die of organ rejection
  its not pretty!
• You don't need to be in the classroom to learn
• Learning should be fun and interesting and
  engaging (Radical, huh?)

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Program Design Implications ALL Case Study

• The Advanced Leadership Lab (ALL)
• Design features
• Lab not Program
• Mix of personal, team and business leadership
  concepts/experiences, with time to consider
  interactions in x-functional, x-geographic group
• Wrestle with real Leadership Challenge - defined
  by participants, not from above
• Lots of open space for participants to play in
  facilitators go where group leads
• Experiment with new, untested content
• Experiential learning component allows for real
  and unanticipated issues/ideas to emerge
• Check-ins are done throughout, to allow feedback
  from the group to shift the programming, and open
  to experimenting in real time as well
• Final session on Someone Id like to thank.
• Participants are expected to help the Lab iterate
  and improve each time
• Iterate and re-design after each lab - no two are
  the same

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Design Implications

• 6. Grow the whole person
• Mission To bring out the best in Google and
  Googlers, by developing Googlers as whole human
  beings and helping them reach their full
  potentials on all levels emotional, mental,
  physical and beyond the self

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Program Design Implications SIY Case Study

• Search Inside Yourself Mindfulness and
  Emotional Intelligence
• Duration
• Six weekly two-hour classes to establish new
  behavioral patterns
• Key skills addressed
• Neuroscience of emotions (Goleman)
• Self-awareness
• Self Regulation
• Motivation
• Listening / Empathy
• Social skills

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Questions?