how has google made the siy course appeal to its engineers

by Hermann Steuber 9 min read

How did Google's original engineer become a self-help guru?

How one of Google’s original engineers became a self-help guru, and why thousands are on waiting lists for his course. In 2006, Google engineer Chade-Meng Tan decided he no longer wanted to feel like a cog in the great machine, and set out to create a program that would train people to be more mindful in their lives.

Why are so many software engineers skeptical of Google's culture?

That skepticism stems from a highly technocratic culture. As one software engineer, Eric Flatt, puts it, “We are a company built by engineers for engineers.” And most engineers, not just those at Google, want to spend their time designing and debugging, not communicating with bosses or supervising other workers’ progress.

Is Google a company for software engineers or engineers for engineers?

As one software engineer, Eric Flatt, puts it, “We are a company built by engineers for engineers.” And most engineers, not just those at Google, want to spend their time designing and debugging, not communicating with bosses or supervising other workers’ progress.

How many Googlers go through the search inside yourself training?

An estimated 1,500 Googlers are expected to go through the training this year, while thousands wait for future open seats. In 2012, Tan and his team decided to make the course available to organizations and communities outside of Google. So the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI) was launched as a nonprofit, while Tan’s book,

Why might emotional intelligence be important to Google's engineers?

“Emotional-intelligence skills support collaboration, more open communication, more transparency and less posturing, less ego, and more people working for the greater good and for the purpose of the organization succeeding,” he tells Fast Company.

What are the 4 components of emotional intelligence?

The four domains of Emotional Intelligence — self awareness, self management, social awareness, and relationship management — each can help a leader face any crisis with lower levels of stress, less emotional reactivity and fewer unintended consequences.

How important is emotional intelligence?

But what is EI and why is it so important? Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and regulate one's emotions and understand the emotions the others. A high EQ helps you to build relationships, reduce team stress, defuse conflict and improve job satisfaction.

Why is emotional intelligence important in business?

EQ influences everyday tasks in both personal lives and business. For leaders and executives, decisions around hiring, business opportunities, challenges, and sales, must all come from a place of deep awareness and understanding of others.

What is emotional quotient in psychology?

Emotional intelligence (otherwise known as emotional quotient or EQ) is the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict.

What is emotional reasoning in psychology?

Emotional reasoning is one type of cognitive distortion that may be contributing to your symptoms of panic disorder. When overcome by this type of faulty thinking, we are interpreting our situation through our feelings. We feel anxious and then believe that we must be in danger.

What kind of ability refers to an individual's ability to obtain and use information in order to solve problems?

Cognitive ability, sometimes referred to as general intelligence (g), is essential for human adaptation and survival. It includes the capacity to “reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly, and learn from experience” (Plomin, 1999).

How can I improve my relationship management?

Enhance your self-awareness.Build a Culture of Listening. Giving someone your full attention, minimizing distractions, and reflecting thoughtfully can reassure others of your sincerity.Learn to Recognize Emotion in Others. ... Set Clear Expectations. ... Ask Questions. ... Develop Shared Values. ... Be a Leader. ... Use Praise.

What does empathy refer to?

The term “empathy” is used to describe a wide range of experiences. Emotion researchers generally define empathy as the ability to sense other people's emotions, coupled with the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling.

What is emotional intelligence EI and how can it improve the overall performance of an organization?

Emotional intelligence in the workplace begins from the inside out with each individual. It involves recognizing various aspects of your feelings and emotions and taking the time to work on the elements of self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills.

Why emotional intelligence is important for building good teams in the workplace?

Emotionally intelligent leaders and managers know how to manage their emotions and behavior at work, creating safe environments for exchanging ideas and feedback, productive teamwork and performance, high morale, employee engagement, and job satisfaction.

What is the relationship between an emotionally intelligent workforce and the achievement of workplace goals and objectives?

According to Goleman's model, those with a higher EQ have a greater ability to self-regulate, and higher levels of motivation – which can in turn reduces their tendency to procrastinate, leads to improved self-confidence, and enables them to focus on achieving long-term goals.

Who said "We are a company built by engineers for engineers"?

As one software engineer, Eric Flatt, puts it, “We are a company built by engineers for engineers.”. And most engineers, not just those at Google, want to spend their time designing and debugging, not communicating with bosses or supervising other workers’ progress.

Why is Google rank and file important?

Google gives its rank and file room to make decisions and innovate. Along with that freedom comes a greater respect for technical expertise, skillful problem solving, and good ideas than for titles and formal authority.

What companies use analytics?

Google is one of several companies that are applying analytics in new ways. Until recently, organizations used data-driven decision making mainly in product development, marketing, and pricing. But these days, Google, Procter & Gamble, Harrah’s, and others take that same approach in addressing human resources needs.

Who is the original engineer of Google?

How one of Google’s original engineers became a self-help guru, and why thousands are on waiting lists for his course. In 2006, Google engineer Chade-Meng Tan decided he no longer wanted to feel like a cog in the great machine, and set out to create a program that would train people to be more mindful in their lives.

How many SAP employees have completed the mindfulness course?

SAP’s executives agreed to a pilot course in the summer of 2013, which turned out to be a full class. Today, 400 employees have completed the course in the U.S. and Germany, and 800 are on the waiting list. Last year, Bostelmann was appointed SAP’s director of mindfulness.

What is the course on pause?

The course focuses on what’s happening in the brain when you’re having certain thoughts and feelings, and encourages reflection rather than reaction. You’re able to master emotions and think calmly and clearly, become a better listener, and pause before acting.

Who created the program to train people to be more mindful?

In 2006, Google engineer Chade-Meng Tan decided he no longer wanted to feel like a cog in the great machine, and set out to create a program that would train people to be more mindful in their lives. This wasn’t some Kumbaya moment; Tan’s ambitious course would train people to become more aware of their emotions, more compassionate toward others, ...

Is Search Inside Yourself a nonprofit?

So the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI) was launched as a nonprofit, while Tan’s book, Search Inside Yourself, became endorsed by the Dalai Lama and former President Jimmy Carter.

image

Analyzing The Soft Stuff

Image
To understand how Google set out to prove managers’ worth, let’s go back to 2006, when Page and Brin brought in Laszlo Bock to head up the human resources function—appropriately called people operations, or people ops. From the start, people ops managed performance reviews, which included annual 360-degree as…
See more on hbr.org

Making The Case

  • Project Oxygen colead Neal Patel recalls, “We knew the team had to be careful. Google has high standards of proof, even for what, at other places, might be considered obvious truths. Simple correlations weren’t going to be enough. So we actually ended up trying to prove the opposite case—that managers don’t matter. Luckily, we failed.” To begin, Patel and his team reviewed exi…
See more on hbr.org

Putting The Findings Into Practice

  • The list of behaviors has served three important functions at Google: giving employees a shared vocabulary for discussing management, offering them straightforward guidelines for improving it, and encapsulating the full range of management responsibilities. Though the list is simple and straightforward, it’s enriched by examples and descriptions of...
See more on hbr.org

Measuring Results

  • The people ops team has analyzed Oxygen’s impact by examining aggregate survey data and qualitative input from individuals. From 2010 through 2012, UFS and TMS median favorability scores rose from 83% to 88%. The lowest-scoring managers improved the most, particularly in the areas of coaching and career development. The improvements were consistent across function…
See more on hbr.org