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We all know the famous Google Policy, allowing all employees to use 20% of their time on a project of their choosing (they call it “innovation time off”). Publicly, Google claims that many of their breakthrough businesses come from this policy. However, a quick glance at their quarterly financial statements reveals that well over 95% of their revenues come from just a few of their businesses and really only one thing: ads. So, what are the real benefits from giving open space to your employees to pursue a project of their choosing? Read entire article.

Posted in Leadership, productivity

Contrary to popular belief, creativity can exist in bureaucratic environments. You can see it in the form of brainstorms and “exciting days” in offices across the corporate world. A new idea flourishes, but then it enters a bureaucratic mess that substantially reduces the likelihood of execution.

“Don” (real name protected) had an internship this summer at a social networking startup that shall go nameless. As he explains, “ideas for changes and small improvements would originate in a brainstorm, and then be preserved for a meeting with our design agency. A week later, a meeting with designers would end with a series of questions for the programmers. The programmers (some work on the opposite coast and some work in India), would have to agree on a meeting time with the designers and with the executives. By the time that meeting happened, everyone would need a refresher on the topic, weeks would have passed, and money evaporated.” Painful.

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Posted in Leadership, productivity