Google's structures for learning

Google has a reputation for having one heck of an office environment. But can a “kickin’” workspace really impact innovation and productivity? In this wireless, telecommuting world, should businesses invest in creating a physical environment to foster learning and invention? Don’t people prefer ‘online’ to ‘in office’ these days?

Let’s face it; online dating has opened up all sorts of new ways of ‘meeting’ people. But for most people, it’s still the physical chemistry that seals a deal in a relationship. We haven’t figured out the ‘ether’ version of that step yet.

And likewise, online learning opens up all sorts of new ways to acquire new skills, to collaborate and to research new discoveries. But when I visited Google for the first time yesterday, I got a lust to learn. The physical makeup of the campus empowers learning. Like a live physical presence after an online conversation, I reacted to Google’s physical plant even more strongly than I did to its online successes.

How do they do that? First, much of the space supports collaboration. Open and flexible, supported with whiteboards and comfortable, configurable furniture, the loft-like rooms call out for people to sit together and work. As I passed some of the whiteboards, I couldn’t help but stop and read them. Hey, I was thinking – “I want to be part of that group . . .” My friend tells me that the IT services are first rate – the wireless is fast, and your computer is updated regularly. And if it breaks, it gets fixed fast and cheerfully. Workers are well supported to work together anytime, anyplace.

The atmosphere is casual – there were flyers and posters everywhere inviting staff to lectures, announcing focus groups, sign-up sheets for trial uses of new projects. The buzz was posted on the boards and the walls – “Hey,” I thought, “I want to learn more about that project.” In fact, we walked right through a lecture with a speaker and probably close to 100 people sitting, lounging, sprawling on the floor and taking notes. Lagging behind, I was eavesdropping and thinking, “Oh – he’s talking about how human neurology can inform or maybe even inspire software functions.” “Wait,” I wanted to say, ”that’s a great idea, I want to know more about that.”

And, of course, there is the legendary Google support for ‘work hard, play hard’. There was the volleyball court, the Endless Lap Pools, the gym, and all the ‘best of the best’ of wealthy company perks. The gourmet restaurants support the body, too. It only took me five minutes to load my plate completely full with just ‘a little’ taste of pasta, sushi, curry, bistro bites and a salad bar dip of good green stuff. As were sitting outside eating in the courtyard table, a person joined us – we didn’t know him but soon were exchanging information and ideas. Google knows that good meals are great collaboration starters.

Access, support, flexibility: a physical facility with an expectation built in that people work together. It is an online set of resources that support innovation and research into doing things in a new and better way: a culture that respects and honors human energy and motivation through good food and good physical activity. It is part of the Google success formula.

So I wonder, Google, if you were to design a school -- what would it look like? How would you change the school system so that it would produce your ideal ‘entry’ level worker?

On second thought, here’s a better question. So Google – if I gave you a group of six year olds, how would you build a place for them to produce your next great invention? If I gave you twenty high school freshmen, what new capability would you inspire them to produce? I bet you could do it.

Now that would be a new business of learning.