自由是种投资

真正有能力这样做的公司有几家?有实力的又有谁正在这样做? 一位曾在微软工作过,现在在Google的工程师Joe这样认为:

Can 20% time work at other companies? I'm sure that there are going to be others that try. However, I think that it is important to realize that it is a result of an environment and philosophy to development more than a cause. I don't think that it is something that can be imposed in an independent way.
即使正在这样做的Google,为何不让80%的员工做本职,20%的员工去享受spare time?要么,来个40% 、50%岂不是更加活力激荡? 除了公认的二八定律之外,即使Google也只能将这种奢侈投资控制在一定范围内,毕竟作为一家成熟的公司,投资跟赌资是两码事。

既然是投资,那么必然有收益了:

  1. 原本效率较低的垃圾时间,现在可以投入自己喜欢的事情。使员工创意勃发、脑力激荡、少时高效;在这20%自驱动的时间内将得到天才员工们的20正常工作时间+无穷自由时间,据说Gulp就是Urs Hoelzle 去玻利维亚和秘鲁交界处的亚热带雨林从事植物学研究从而诞生的
  2. 20%似乎已然成为Google文化符号之一。其标榜的创意、自由、灵感早已深入人心,googleplex成为诸多geek朝圣之地,flickr更上不乏google spy在google内部偷拍的照片
  3. 员工向心力增强,内部透明、intranet共享机制同20% time 也脱不开关系
  4. 创意源头。在这20% time 诞生了n多产品:Gmail、Google Books、Google Earth、Orkut、Google“功能饮料”Gulp ……
当然,也有不买Google 20% time帐 的,比如这位微软工程师Robert 对一位Google员工tony 20% time的回应:Tony brags about Google's 20% time 颇含意味的这样说道:
So, why doesn't Microsoft have 20% time? Well, speaking for myself, if Bill Gates told me I could have 20% time I'd say "that's nice Bill, but I'm already working on what I want to work on."
不管怎样,让business充满人情味是挺好的一件事,相信没有人在获得自由的同时希望听到背后的算盘声。

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