Cultivating Innovation: Google 20% Time Policy
The impact of google 20% time policy innovation within the company. For Google, innovation isn’t just encouraged—it’s a way of life. At the heart of this culture of creativity lies a revolutionary policy known as “20% Time,” a concept synonymous with Google’s commitment to fostering employee autonomy and driving ground-breaking innovation.
The story of 20% Time begins in the early 2000s, a time of rapid expansion and diversification for Google. As the company grew from a start-up to a global technology giant, founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin recognized the need to maintain the entrepreneurial spirit that had fuelled their early success. They believed that true innovation thrived in an environment where employees were empowered to pursue their passions and explore new ideas, free from the constraints of traditional corporate hierarchies.
With this vision in mind, Page and Brin introduced the 20% Time policy, which allowed employees to dedicate up to one-fifth of their workweek to projects of their choosing. Whether developing new products, experimenting with cutting-edge technologies, or exploring unconventional ideas, employees were encouraged to follow their curiosity and pursue projects that inspired them.
The impact of Google’s 20% Time policy was immediate and far-reaching. It unleashed creativity and innovation within the company, as employees from all corners seized the opportunity to explore new avenues and push the boundaries of what was possible. From engineers tinkering with code in their spare time to designers sketching out new product concepts, the Google offices buzzed with the energy of experimentation and discovery.
Some of Google’s most iconic products can be traced back to 20% Time initiatives. Take Gmail, for example, the revolutionary email service that forever changed the way we communicate online. The idea for Gmail emerged from a 20% Time project by engineer Paul Buchheit, who saw an opportunity to create a more efficient and user-friendly email experience. Gmail boasts over 1.5 billion users worldwide and remains one of Google’s flagship products.
Similarly, Google News, the company’s ground-breaking news aggregation service, was born out of a 20% Time project led by engineer Krishna Bharat. Focused on the limitations of existing news websites, Bharat set out to create a platform that would deliver personalized news content from various sources. The result was Google News, which revolutionised how people consume news online and remains one of the most popular news aggregation services on the web.
However, the impact of the 20% Time policy extends far beyond individual projects and products. It has fundamentally shaped Google’s organizational culture, fostering a sense of ownership, autonomy, and collaboration among employees. By allowing employees to pursue their passions and explore new ideas, Google has created a culture where innovation is encouraged and celebrated. In this environment, employees feel empowered to take risks, experiment boldly, and drive change from within.
The success of the 20% Time policy has had ripple effects beyond Google’s offices, inspiring other companies to rethink their approaches to employee engagement and innovation. From start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, organisations worldwide have looked to Google’s example as they seek to create cultures that foster creativity, collaboration, and continuous learning.
By empowering employees to pursue their passions and explore new ideas, Google has created a fertile ground for breakthrough innovations and forged a culture of ownership, collaboration, and continuous learning that defines its ethos.
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“Impressions From Time” is a curated series from Leaping Frog about stories from the past that have helped shape modern-day practices in the people and organisation domain.
Leaping Frog, a new-age consulting firm, is an enabler and co-creator in enhancing people and organisational effectiveness. We love doing work in the areas of “Driving Organisational Change and Development”, “HR Systems and Talent Strategy”, and “Leadership and Life Coaching”.
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