In 2008, Google co-founder Sergey Brin experienced something new. For the first time since the company was founded, the economy was in a recession.
During the annual shareholders meeting, there was a subtle yet fascinating comment Sergey made about the pullback in the economy.
“I never imagined I would be writing one in the midst of an economic crisis unlike any we have seen in decades. As I write this, search queries are reflecting economic hardship, the major market indexes are one half of what they were less than 18 months ago, and unemployment is at record levels.
Nonetheless, I am optimistic about the future, because I believe scarcity breeds clarity: it focuses minds, forcing people to think creatively and rise to the challenge.“
-Sergey Brin
It’s well-known that teams at Google are given less resources than requested. If a manager says they need 10 Engineers to get the job done, they’re purposely given half that number.
Why?
Until you’re completely resource constraint, you don’t actually know what the bare minimum is to operate efficiently. When we have less to work with, we’re forced to be more articulate with our asks and more deliberate with our time.
There’s a common thread I find when I ask my incredibly talented female co-workers how they do it all; raising a two kids, traveling for sales pitches, and still finding time for PTA meetings.
“Since I have less time, I have a much deeper appreciation for it and what truly matters. It allows me to bring my full self to every conversation, and value others’ time. With less, I’ve gained a new perspective, which nets out to more.”
Next time you feel stretched for time, take a deep breath.
Your limited resources, could be your greatest strength