Going back to Google for a moment…

…I find the way Google describes its culture to be interesting. Check out ‘Ten Things’ under the ‘Our Philosophy’ section on its website. This list so wonderfully and succinctly provides a clear idea of who Google is. This ‘Thing’ may be my favorite:

10. Great just isn’t good enough.

Always deliver more than expected. Google does not accept being the best as an endpoint, but a starting point. Through innovation and iteration, Google takes something that works well and improves upon it in unexpected ways. Search works well for properly spelled words, but what about typos? One engineer saw a need and created a spell checker that seems to read a user’s mind. It takes too long to search from a WAP phone? Our wireless group developed Google Number Search to reduce entries from three keystrokes per letter to one. With a user base in the millions, Google is able to identify points of friction quickly and smooth them out. Google’s point of distinction however, is anticipating needs not yet articulated by our global audience, then meeting them with products and services that set new standards. This constant dissatisfaction with the way things are is ultimately the driving force behind the world’s best search engine.

Does your company have a ‘Ten Things’ list? Try starting with a ‘Three Things’ list to get the ball rolling.