Do You View Project Oxygen As A Highly Successful Planned Ch

3 Do You View Project Oxygen As A Highly Successful Planned Change Pr

Do you view Project Oxygen as a highly successful planned change process? How does Project Oxygen mirror those described in classical models of planned change processes such as Lewin’s unfreezing, changing, and refreezing?

The eight attributes provide a comprehensive picture of the essential elements of effective management. Collectively, they fall into two broad categories: managing people and managing the work. What is your assessment of these attributes? What value do they provide? If these attributes are so obvious, why is good management so hard to do?

What should be Setty’s priorities going forward? What criteria should he use for choosing among projects?

Which projects best lend themselves to the Project Oxygen methodology and approach? Which projects are likely to provide the greatest value-added to Google?

Paper For Above instruction

Project Oxygen was an initiative undertaken by Google to identify the key behaviors of effective managers and improve management practices within the organization. By leveraging extensive data analysis and employee feedback, Google aimed to craft a structured approach to leadership development and organizational change, aligning with classical models of planned change such as Lewin’s unfreezing, changing, and refreezing (Cummings & Worley, 2014). This paper evaluates whether Project Oxygen can be considered a highly successful planned change process, examines its alignment with classical change models, assesses the relevance of its identified attributes, and discusses strategic priorities for future projects.

Firstly, assessing the success of Project Oxygen as a planned change process depends on its outcomes and methodology. Lewin's model emphasizes three stages: unfreezing existing behaviors, implementing changes, and refreezing new behaviors to sustain improvements (Lewin, 1951). Project Oxygen effectively ‘unfroze’ current management practices by challenging assumptions about leadership and highlighting the need for specific managerial behaviors. It then implemented targeted training and feedback mechanisms—akin to Lewin’s 'changing' phase—focused on behaviors like providing feedback, coaching, and fostering development. Finally, the program sought to integrate these practices into organizational culture — the 'refreezing' stage — by embedding management behaviors into performance evaluations and company policies. Given the improvements in management ratings, employee satisfaction, and team performance, it can be argued that Project Oxygen exemplifies a successful application of the planned change process described by Lewin (Schaffer, 2013).

The classical model is linear and emphasizes the importance of understanding the organizational context to facilitate change successfully. Project Oxygen mirrors these elements by systematically diagnosing leadership gaps, designing interventions aligned with identified behaviors, and embedding new practices into routines. Moreover, Google's data-driven approach aligns with Lewin’s emphasis on understanding the forces for and against change, ensuring that interventions are supported by empirical evidence and employee insights (Cummings & Worley, 2014). Nonetheless, one could argue that the project also exhibits elements of continuous improvement, transcending a linear process toward an ongoing development cycle, which modern change models support (Carnall, 2007).

Regarding the eight attributes central to effective management—such as being a good coach, empowering teams, expressing interest in team members’ success, and being results-oriented—these collectively provide a comprehensive framework for leadership excellence (Harvard Business Review, 2015). They encapsulate essential competencies that foster employee engagement, productivity, and organizational agility. The value of these attributes lies in their ability to influence organizational climate positively, leading to enhanced performance, innovation, and retention. Although these attributes may seem obvious, translating them into consistent managerial behaviors remains challenging due to factors such as managerial ego, organizational culture, and the complexity of human dynamics (Goleman, 2000). Implementing these behaviors consistently requires deliberate effort, coaching, and organizational support, which explains why effective management is so hard to achieve despite the apparent simplicity of these attributes.

Looking ahead, Setty’s strategic priorities should focus on scaling successful management practices, fostering leadership at all levels, and continuously refining project selection based on strategic impact and feasibility. Criteria for choosing projects should include alignment with organizational goals, potential for value creation, ease of implementation, and scalability using the Project Oxygen methodology. Projects that revolve around enhancing team collaboration, leadership development, and employee engagement tend to lend themselves best to this structured approach, as they directly impact the attributes identified as critical to effective management. Conversely, projects requiring radical technological innovation or market disruption might not align as well with a management development framework focused on behavioral change precisely because of their intrinsic complexity and need for specialized expertise (Kotter, 1997).

In terms of generating the greatest value, priority should be given to initiatives that promote organizational agility, foster innovation, and retain talent—areas where effective management behaviors can produce measurable impacts. For Google, projects that leverage data analytics, facilitate cross-functional collaboration, and develop leadership skills across diverse teams are likely to deliver high return on investment. Implementing structured management interventions in these areas ensures that behavioral improvements are sustained and embedded into the corporate culture, further amplifying organizational performance (Barsh, Capozzi, & Davidson, 2010).

In conclusion, Project Oxygen qualifies as a highly successful planned change process when viewed through the lens of classical models like Lewin’s. Its systematic approach to diagnosing, implementing, and embedding effective management behaviors mirrors principles of planned change, emphasizing data-driven strategies and organizational alignment. The identified attributes of effective management provide valuable guidelines, although their consistent realization remains complex. Moving forward, strategic focus on scalable, impactful projects—guided by clear criteria—will help sustain and extend the benefits of the Project Oxygen methodology, ensuring continued growth and competitive advantage for Google.

References

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• Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review, 78(2), 78-90.
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• Lewin, K. (1951). Field theory in social science. Harper & Brothers.
• Schaffer, R. (2013). The Psychological Foundations of Organizational Change. Routledge.
• Cummings, T. G., & Worley, C. G. (2014). Organizational Development & Change. Cengage Learning.
• Harvard Business Review. (2015). The Attributes of Effective Leaders. Harvard Business Publishing.
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