A Google Insider Speaks: The 3 Biggest Mistakes Google Has Made in the Last 72 Hours

I’m a Google employee who has taken the manifesto situation to heart. Not because I agree or disagree with the position James took (that will be part II), but due to the way Google has handled and responded to it. I’m not going to evaluate the substance of the manifesto, but I will evaluate the actions taken by Google. I believe James was well-aware of the potential consequences (including termination) by publishing the manifesto using Google collateral versus a neutral platform (e.g. Facebook or blog). I say this because I believe James took a calculated risk, and I’m not sure if he got the outcome he wanted or not. 

I started this blog to tell my story about always dreaming of being a millionaire; realizing that dream at 29 years old and still feeling as broke as I did when I graduated at 22 years old making $24k a year with $10k in savings (hence the name of the blog).  I planned on my first blog post being around financial freedom, creating wealth, spending habits, demystifying retirement, making your first million before 30, making your third million before 35 but I feel compelled to address the situation. For some reason, I feel it’s my duty to provide a Googler's POV. What qualifies me to write about this topic you ask? To start with, I’m a Google insider. I live, breathe and spend a majority of my day in Googles culture (so I get it). I’m not an organic Googler, in that I came from another industry so I’m open-minded and not someone who has been drinking the kool-aid since graduation. Let’s cover the 3 biggest mistakes Google made in the last 72 hours:

1.     Not Walking the Walk

If you’re going to preach an open culture that promotes diversity, you have to accept diverse opinions that are presented in a respectful, thoughtful, open and non-aggressive manner. You can’t send out Leadership memos that promote diversity, and then only accept diversity that aligns with what Google deems acceptable. Starting off an email with: “First, let me say that we strongly support the right of Googlers to express themselves, and much of what was in that memo is fair to debate, regardless of whether a vast majority of Googlers disagree with it" doesn’t give you a right to be the judge and jury on what can and cannot be safely expressed. It gives you the power but not the right. This is why you're seeing #MarchOnGoogle.

Google should have used this situation as an example of 

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