If you are looking for a book that will inspire you to rethink how you work and lead, you might want to check out "Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead" by Laszlo Bock. Bock is the former head of People Operations at Google, the company that revolutionized how the world interacts with knowledge and has been consistently rated one of the best places to work in the world.
In this book, Bock shares his insights and experiences from 15 years of leading Google's people practices, and reveals the secrets behind Google's culture of innovation, creativity, and excellence. He also challenges some of the conventional wisdom on hiring, training, assessing, and compensating employees, and offers practical and evidence-based alternatives that can be applied in any organization.
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Here are five important things I learned from Laszlo Bock's book "Work Rules! : Insights from Inside Google That Will Change the Way You Live and Lead":
- Give your workers more freedom and independence than you are used to. Google thinks that people work best when they can choose their own projects, schedules, and work environments. This encourages originality, new ideas, and taking ownership. Trust your workers to do the right thing and don't tell them what to do every step of the way.
- Only hire the best people and don't settle for less. Google has a strict, data-driven hiring process that makes sure they only hire smart, capable people who fit with the company's culture. They also care about diversity and inclusion and try to avoid making hiring choices based on bias and stereotypes. The most important thing you can do to build a great business is to hire the best people.
- Create an environment where people want to learn and grow. Google spends a lot on formal and informal training and education for its workers. They urge workers to learn new skills, follow their dreams, and teach others what they know. They also give staff feedback and coaching to help them grow and get better. Employees need to learn and grow in order to stay interested and driven.
- Don't base your choices on opinions or politics, but on facts and evidence. Google makes decisions about everything from product design to employee perks based on data and tests. They use data to figure out what effect they're having, test their assumptions, and improve their methods. They also encourage workers to question authority and say what they think, as long as they can back up their claims with facts. Data and evidence are the keys to making better choices and avoiding making mistakes.
- Have fun at work and be yourself. Google encourages a fun and playful work environment where people can be themselves and have fun with their coworkers. They have perks and benefits like free food, massages, games, and pets that make work more fun. They also celebrate milestones and accomplishments and thank workers for their work. Work is more important and satisfying when you have fun and are yourself there.
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The book is full of anecdotes, examples, and case studies from Google and other companies that illustrate these principles in action. It also provides tools and templates that can help you implement them in your own workplace. Whether you are a team of one or a team of thousands, you can benefit from Bock's wisdom and experience, and learn how to create a work environment that fosters happiness, productivity, and innovation.
"Work Rules!" is not just a book about Google or about work. It's a book about how to live and lead in a changing world, where the old rules no longer apply. It's a book that will make you think differently about yourself, your team, and your organization. And it's a book that will make you want to work better.
Buy this book at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3KFgERV
Best-selling books about Google Recommended:
- The Google Story: Inside the Hottest Business, Media, and Technology Success of Our Time by David A. Vise and Mark Malseed. This book tells the story of how Google was founded by two Stanford students and how it became one of the most influential companies in the world. It covers the history, culture, innovation, and challenges of Google from its inception to the present day.
- In The Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives by Steven Levy. This book is based on extensive interviews with Google insiders and reveals the secrets behind Google's products, strategies, and vision. It explores how Google operates, how it deals with competition, how it handles privacy and security issues, and how it impacts society and culture.
- How Google Works by Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg. This book is written by Google's former CEO and former senior vice president of products and explains how Google fosters a culture of creativity, collaboration, and innovation. It also shares the lessons learned from Google's successes and failures and offers tips on how to think like Google in the digital age.
- The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google by Scott Galloway. This book analyzes how the four tech giants dominate the market and shape our lives. It examines their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and offers a framework for understanding their strategies and impact. It also suggests how to compete with them or emulate them in business and life.