Brand Modeling, Organizational Change, and Google: An Examination

Becoming the dominant player in any industry is tough.  Holding onto that premier position is even harder.  Brand Modeling teaches us that it is the leaders of any organization who must have a clear, fully articulated vision of what success means for their company—as well as the resolve and resources to make that vision reality.

That’s why we read this NY Times article about Google CEO Larry Page with great interest. To quote:

Despite the many external pressures on Google, it is dominant in its business and highly profitable. But, when asked at a recent conference about the biggest threat to his company, Mr. Page answered in one word, “Google.”

Growth has consequences.  Google has grown to be one of the world’s largest corporations.  There’s no doubt that the company has a dominant and pervasive presence in our culture.  However, while developing this dominant, pervasive presence, Google has lost some of the essential qualities that made the company so strong in the first place. Namely, according to Mr. Page, velocity and execution.

Why is this a big deal?

Mr. Page believes (and he’s almost certainly right) that a large part of the reason that Google is the organization it is today was the rapid creation and deployment of innovative web tools and strategies.  Rapid is a key word here.  Google had grown to such a size and in such a way that it wasn’t moving fast anymore. They have lost one of the key qualities that made them appealing to their customers in the first place.

Mr. Page is changing that.  He has eliminated more than 25 projects.  The organization is getting a much-needed trim.  Change like this is never easy.  It’s one thing to talk about eliminating projects, but at the end of the day, what gets eliminated is people’s positions. This can create fear, anxiety, and disruption in an organization precisely when it’s most critical to have everyone on the same page.

Fostering Organizational Change

What is the best way for Mr. Page and the rest of the Google leadership team to address this organizational change internally? Clear communication is key. Google’s team needs to know not only what changes are being made, but why those changes are made.  They need to see the larger vision.  Sharing information about organizational changes is more than common courtesy. It provides a much needed answer to what is the top question in every Google employee’s mind: What is going to happen to me? What is my role with the company going to look like?

When employees understand what it will look like when the company is successful, and what role they play in creating and continuing that success, implementing change becomes easier.  You achieve critical buy-in only when employees see that they will benefit from the changes.

Has Mr. Page been doing that? The reports we’re seeing seem to indicate that he’s making a large effort to be more open and communicative, especially in shareholder meetings.  Expanding that trend toward open, transparent communication with his leadership team and employees can help bring the organization into alignment —even when the organization is as big as Google.

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