The Soule Entrepreneurial Institute
 

I have added the blog of my friend John Arrow to the Links page. I am featured in his latest entry.

 

I toured the Google campus on Friday with the fitness program benefits director Josh Glynn. It's true, Google is almost certainly the best place to work in the country.

Things you can find at Google...
 - 5 or 6 eclectic cafeterias
 - Fitness centers all over campus
 - A program for authors to come and speak
 - Politicians, Tech specialists, and other influentials regularly touring the campus
 - A program allowing engineers to spend 20% of their time on their own projects
 - Bright decor that has a positive effect on your mood
 - The same 250 square feet of space per employee that most companies use, but instead of having solitary cubicles and offices, 3-4 Googlers will share a workspace. These work spaces foster collaboration and provide the health benefits of human interaction
 - Grand pianos, Foosball, Ping Pong, Public bicycles and masseuses.


How can the benefits of Google culture be easily applied to any company?

1. Initiate shared work spaces. Shared workspaces increase collaboration and decrease heating costs. Josh went from solitary offices to a shared space. He says that he misses his coworkers when they aren't around. This collaborative environment increases creativity and mental health.
2. Create an athletic program. Paul Carrozza of Runtex has stated that his corporate running program decreased health insurance claims by 60%. Exercise also improves cognitive health. Astute employees create astute profits.
3. Use a horizontal corporate structure. At Google there is very little hierarchy. Tasks are more based on creativity than the requests of a boss. The best solution to your company's marketing problem could be contributed by an electrical engineer, or vice versa.

4. Brighten up the decor. Google recognizes that color affects your mood. The logo reflects this philosophy .

Check out this photo essay on the Googleplex