Don't get trapped if you are a high performer
Pros
Google has been a great personal experience specially for someone who came from SaaS business where you often forget your basic courtesies and manners. Instead of getting straight to business Monday mornings where there are no pleasantries exchanged, Google rekindled the human touch in me. It truly invoked the spirit of checking on people and being more empathetic specially when someone failed to meet a deliverable. It also doubled my confidence to kick off anything I chose to do professionally, oddly by subjecting me to impostor syndrome- not once but twice in 3 years and mind you I do not suffer with lack of confidence. :)
Cons
I spent a good chunk of my career working for another tech company ranked top 10 in the world and smaller chunk at a smaller company in my 20 yr career. At both places the common feedback I labeled as a high performer often challenging my leaders to keep me engaged/productive so they didn't run risk of losing me. However Google has consistently missed to meet my expectations and every few months I am asked to be a "facilitator" and not a "leader" given my program management function. Its absolutely disheartening! Google is a very inclusive culture but this comes at a price of decision making also making people often feel they are in a hierarchical structure even if they are not. People often are very nice on your face but don't shy from giving a load of feedback to your boss versus directly working to challenge you. Weird! Managers on the other hand become middlemen between stakeholders and employees and often this becomes a full time job. So bottom line, if you are a high performer and action oriented your energy is probably more respected elsewhere. Please note, my experience is limited to Google Ads and perhaps its better in other orgs.
