Eric Schmidt’s rules of management

Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Berkeley professor Hal Varian wrote an article in the latest issue of Newsweek about Google’s approach to managing the knowledge worker. Google’s extensive perks program is their way of removing things that may get in the way of their employees.

Schmidt admits Google’s problems of “techno-arrogance” and “the not invented here syndrome.” The company also needs to adjust to a workforce of varying ages and motivations as it looks towards long-term growth.

One of our not-so-secret weapons is our ideas mailing list: a companywide suggestion box where people can post ideas ranging from parking procedures to the next killer app.

I like the idea of having somewhere to throw out ideas and know everyone on the list wants to hear your new ideas.

{N]obody throws chairs at Google, unlike management practices used at some other well-known technology companies. We foster to create an atmosphere of tolerance and respect, not a company full of yes men.

Obvious poke at Microsoft and Ballmer supposedly throwing a chair across his office when researcher Kai-Fu Lee left Microsoft to work for Google.

Google has remarkably broad dissemination of information within the organization and remarkably few serious leaks. Contrary to what some might think, we believe it is the first fact that causes the second: a trusted work force is a loyal work force.

Good to hear! Google should encourage more employees to blog and make intelligent decisions about information that could be proprietary to the company.