Great ideas! !

Work Rules! !

by Laszlo Bock

The Executive Forum - Stonewall ResortOctober 19, 2015

What’s in it for me?

Why should I believe you?

Why should I care?

“If you’re looking for forehead-smacking

insights along with an array of savvy new

practices, Work Rules! is an essential read.”

!Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind

Google is perhaps the most admired

company of the 21st century and Bock is responsible for their

people operations

Set aside the fact that Google is a tech juggernaut and

global behemoth

This book has loads of practical

approaches and insights for smaller

companies also

It’s the story of how Google has tried to use

freedom as a way of unlocking great

performance

And the realization of just how important culture is

Coming from the head of People Operations, not surprisingly …

… it deals a lot with recruiting, hiring and growing talent

But also touches on what makes great managers, performance management

and creating a learning institution

Which only touches on roughly half the chapters in the book!

“Thinking strategically about how people drive culture and culture

drives performance.”

Now for the deep dive

vs. a “command orientation”

“Inside Google we don’t have a lot of rule books and policy manuals.”

Many key decisions are made by “groups of peers, a

committee or a dedicated, independent team.”

Operations initiatives vs. programs to empower

Culture Eats Strategy For Breakfast

Google has clearly defined the 3 main elements of their culture

A mission that matters

“To organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

Transparency

Voice

“The power of purpose”

How clear are the elements of your culture?

Core Values

Implicit vs. Explicit

Rewards, recognition, consequences

What happens when the culture is tested?

How clear are the elements of your culture?

Culture Clubs

Lake Wobegon: Where All the Hires are Better Than Average

Hire top people who can contribute right away

Hope for above average and train them up

At best,10% of candidates are top performers

Focus on recruiting Set the bar high

Wait for the right candidate Use a committee approach

And always keep in mind

“Hiring is the most important people function …

… and most people aren’t very good at it.”

Searching For the Best

“a self-replicating talent machine”

Internal referrals

“broader networks”

“Get the best referrals by being excruciatingly specific.”

Don’t Trust Your Gut

Thin Slices-The Halo Effect-Confirmation Bias

Data says!

Work samples

General cognitive ability

Structured interviews

Ask behavioral (job related) …

… and situational (hypothetical scenarios) questions

Measures of conscientiousness

Always push for examples

Assess candidates objectively

Score everything

“Give people a reason to join”

Let the Inmates Run the Asylum

“Take the power from your managers and trust your people to run things.”

“Managers aren’t bad people …”

… but each of us is susceptible to the conveniences and small thrills of power.”

Finding ways for people to shape their work and the company

Googlegeist

Aimed at retention, but also: understanding how best to improve

the company

Innovation Execution

Retention

Raising the bar: for individuals, teams and the company

Project Oxygen

Why Everyone Hates Performance Management …

… and What We Decided to Do About It

One key takeaway:

It’s complicated!

Set goals Align people

4 important Qs

Are low performers identified? Are the right people identified for promotion?

Are discussions meaningful? Does the process seem fair?

Fairness = “Calibration” =

The wisdom of crowds

BiasesLots of biases

Set ambitious goals Gather peer feedback

Use calibration to finalize ratings

Building a Learning Institution

“deliberate practice”

The Kirkpatrick Model

Reaction: What do you like or not like about it?

Learning: Can you point to specific things that you have learned?

Behavior: are there things you are doing differently or better?

Results: what kind of results are you hoping for?

Changing behavior to improve individual, team and organizational performance

Find your teachers within the company

The quick summary

Define your culture

Improve hiring

Listen

[Googlegeist]

Performance management

Great ideas! !

Work Rules! !

by Laszlo Bock

The Executive Forum - Stonewall ResortOctober 19, 2015