You’re Not Google. Stop Trying.

In May of 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge opened to incredible fanfare and admiration. The almost 6,000 foot-long cable suspension bridge was a true marvel of construction. It became an icon of architecture and design, a structure architects for decades would admire, and come to study and learn from in their own practices. It’s probably even fair to say that the designers of the Golden Gate Bridge, which was completed in 1937, studied the Brooklyn Bridge on how to build a great bridge.

What they did not do, however, was copy the design plans of the Brooklyn Bridge and try and fit it in to the San Francisco Bay. Why? Because there is no way it would fit. The length of the bridge needed was 3,000 feet longer, the depth of the water was different, and the terrain around the area was completely on different levels.

There is something to be learned from this comparison today, especially in the context of companies. The big word companies love to talk about today is culture. How do you create a great company culture? Leaders recognize that it is through a strong culture you can attract better talent and keep them longer, leading to a stronger overall company.

In today’s world, the ‘Brooklyn Bridge’ of company culture has to be Google. There is so much hype and discussion around the culture at Google, and all the things they give their people. Free coffee, free lunch, free gyms, access to company bikes and cars, and a relaxed attitude towards dress code. The perception seems to be that at Google, you can do whatever you want.

So it really isn’t a surprise that when I talk with companies about their culture, the one thing I hear so often is ‘how do we be more fun and have a culture like Google?’ to which I always respond:

You’re not Google. Stop trying to be them.

You know why Google’s culture works so well? Because they designed it to attract the type of people they want. Google succeeds because they attract the best software engineers and product developers in the world. To attract them, they built a culture that matches the workforce they want.

So for all the companies out there that aren’t Google, tell me why you think your bank or accounting firm culture needs to match Google when you aren’t in the business of hiring engineers and product designers? You trying to replicate a culture that doesn’t match for the type of talent you want to attract.

Instead, focus on creating a culture that is your own, that is unique to you. Don’t worry about what other companies are doing, worry about what you need to do to attract the people that you want. If you are a CPA company, figure out the type of environment that top CPAs want in a job, and build a culture around that.

Companies always say ‘we want to hire the best talent possible’, but fail to ask themselves the even more important question, which is ‘what type of environment do I need to create so that type of top talent will want to work here?’ That is the more critical question.

It’s okay to look at Google and see what works for them, and perhaps adapt some ideas or get some motivation on what to do, but stop trying to copy and paste your culture from theirs or anyone else. When you do that, your culture will lack authenticity. People will see you’re pretending to be something you’re not.

The truth of all of this is that if you take the time to create a unique, deliberate culture that is yours, you will find yourself attracting the type of people you want. That’s the beautiful part of this world, is that there are enough people who seek out what you have. You just have to give them something real and authentic to buy in to.

It could have been a lot easier for the architects to copy the designs of the Brooklyn Bridge and try to fit it in to the San Francisco Bay, but by taking the time to create their own vision, they in turn made their own iconic bridge that people will marvel for generations to come.

Your company culture will never be Google. And that is okay, because your culture can be something even better: your own.

Like this article? Then give it a like! Have questions about how to create a unique culture? Email me at info@changepointconsulting.com.