Why Your Company Should Stop Trying To Be Like Google

There have been a lot of articles written about Google’s amazing workplace culture. Many organizations today are seeing the press and fanfare regarding how great the organization is and are trying to copy it. Google has an open floor plan? We want an open floor plan! Google lets you bring your dog to work? We have to do that too! Google has unlimited meals and on-site dry-cleaning? We must have that too! It doesn’t always have to be Google though, it can be Netflix, Facebook, Linkedin, or any other “cool” company out there. The thing to remember is that these other organizations aren’t investing in these things for fun or because they wan all the media attention. They are doing it because these things fit within their corporate culture, values, mission, vision, and strategic direction. These are thought out and planned efforts not some investments made on a whim to make the company look like Pinocchio’s island. 

The truth is your company might not have the same culture, values, or strategic direction that Google has and that’s OK. In my travels I have seen many different organizations that are doing interesting things that are not like Google. One organization that comes to mind is F5 networks (I did a podcast interview with them here). At F5, they utilize cubicles and employees have a daily commute to and from the office. Yet, F5 was rated one of the top organizations in the country to work for. Why is that? F5 focuses on what their employees care about and value instead of on what other companies are doing. It’s great to look at other organizations for potential ideas and inspiration but those things need to be thought of as potential ingredients and not recipes for success. There are many unique brands such as Whirpool, Cisco, and Mars Drinks, who are doing unique things that are not a straight copy from Google. Stop trying to be a Google, and start trying to be a you!

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Jacob is an author, speaker, and futurist. To have Jacob speak at your event, to get access to his videos, podcasts and articles, you can learn more by visiting TheFutureOrganization.com. You can also subscribe to Jacob’s newsletter to get weekly content on the future of work and the first 30 pages of his new book, The Future of Work.