The Oxygen of Management Life

For almost 2 years Google have been working on Project Oxygen - their research into what makes a good manager. The New York Times recently published an article about what they have discovered - Google’s Quest to build a Better Boss

What they found – and it isn’t surprising – is that building a strong relationship between managers and their team, gets better results. Soft skills can get mixed up with being a soft touch and this isn’t the case. It’s simply that being Technically brilliant isn’t the pre-requisite for being a good manager or Leader.

Here are google’s 8 rules.

1. Be a good coach 
2. Empower your team and don't micromanage
3. Express interest in team members' success and personal well-being 
4. Don't be a sissy: Be productive and results-oriented 
5. Be a good communicator and listen to your team
6. Help your employees with career development 
7. Have a clear vision and strategy for the team 
8. Have key technical skills so you can help advise the team.

They also highlight 3 pitfalls that managers can easily be trapped by:

1. Have trouble making the transition from individual contributor to manager
2. Are inconsistent in managing team member performance and career development
3. Spend too little time managing and communicating

Another organisation that recognises the importance of relationship management is professional services firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. The CEO Giam Swiegers is very clear “We focus on people who are good with people when we recruit and promote.” You can read more about Deloitte in the Management Today Article, The Cultured Organisation http://bit.ly/erzaK5




Both Deloitte and Google backs up the work I have done with the four stages of contribution model. The four stages model defines the behaviours associated with high performance for individual contributors and managers; and provides a framework to help manage and promote the transitions across career stages to overcome the barriers Google have identified.

Novations four Stages of Contribution model

Google could have simply used exising research to come to the same conclusion, but it’s good that they had the resources and energy to fins out for themselves what makes a good Google manager. It’s good for everyone else too, to know that when it comes to careers and what’s important we’re all on the same page.