{"id":6491,"date":"2019-12-02T16:18:45","date_gmt":"2019-12-02T22:18:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/netasite.org\/?p=6491"},"modified":"2019-12-03T12:11:14","modified_gmt":"2019-12-03T18:11:14","slug":"lessons-from-googleei-swe19-curiosity-as-a-foundation-of-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/netasite.org\/?p=6491","title":{"rendered":"Lessons from #GoogleEI #SWE19: Curiosity as a Foundation of Innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Lynne Herr<\/span><\/p>\n

A second foundation of Google\u2019s Culture of Innovation is <\/span>curiosity.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0 Tremendous effort goes into creating physical spaces and activities to promote creativity and outside the box thinking.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"At the academy, tables were filled with tubs of creative supplies, from paper and glue sticks to stacks of sticky notes.\u00a0 Lighted message boards with movable letters sat next to stacks of edible lego candies that snapped together. Bean bag and movable benches with pillows complemented the traditional seating areas. Giant balloons and sparkling cohort hashtag letters contributed to a festive, fun work space.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sprints – periods of intense content-rich work – were broken up with Sparks – short bursts of inspiration.\u00a0 Initially, sparks were led by coaches and Googlers and including movement such as airplane yoga and karaoke.\u00a0 As the 3-day academy progressed, participants who volunteered to lead sparks led short sessions on everything from blindfolded trust building games to folding origami cranes, from movie making to button making.\u00a0 The only requirement for a spark was a personal passion for the topic. Sparks let us step away from the intense work of sprints to move, create and build relationships. Sprints let us be playful and have fun while giving our brains a break. They energized us for the next sprint.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to large group meeting spaces, Deliberate attention does into designing spaces to promote \"\"employee curiosity throughout the Google offices, encouraging playfulness and collaboration.\u00a0 Each floor features a fully-stocked micro kitchen where Googlers are encouraged to meet colleagues for a snack or beverage and chat – both about work and personal interests. (Side note: It\u2019s no surprise that everything at Google is data driven.\u00a0 And data show that people first choose to eat or drink what it is most accessible, so healthy beverages such as water are behind clear refrigerator windows; juices are behind frosted glass. Fresh organic fruit is in baskets on the counter; chocolate – of course, organic and free trade, is in a drawer.)<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"\"To promote playful curiosity, along with mental and physical health, the Stockholm office features a music recording studio, game rooms, nap rooms, a light therapy room, workout gym and a massage room.\u00a0 Digital posters announced free barista classes for employees who want to up their latte game and promoted a new pub quiz developed by one \u201cSwoogler\u201d to tap into the best work environment for Gen X employees.\u00a0 Even the room names are handled with both creativity and logic. As noted in the bottom right of the sign below, the longer the name, the farther the room is from the sign. The first letter of the room\u2019s name indicates the area of the building where it\u2019s located.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So how might we promote more curiosity and creativity into our schools and workplaces to help create environments that are more open to change, and even seek it out? Here are some ideas:<\/span><\/p>\n