How Google Cloud made global teams more connected, effective, and resilient at scale

Google Cloud used Rising Team to strengthen manager effectiveness, build team connection, and support better execution across a large, distributed technical organization.

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OVERVIEW

An always-on system for team effectiveness in a fast-moving technical org

Google Cloud Business Platform operates at the kind of scale where coordination and communication are most of the job. Teams work across geographies, functions, stakeholder groups, and levels of tenure — all while navigating constant change.
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The organization wanted more than isolated manager training. It wanted a scalable way to help managers and teams build trust, connection, and effectiveness as an operating capability. Rising Team helped Google Cloud move from one-off development moments to an always-on system embedded into the flow of work.

Deployed Rising Team across 1,200 team members in global, distributed, cross-functional teams.

“Rising Team empowers us to drive our work more effectively. We have seen high engagement across our teams.“

Pravir Gupta
VP & GM, Google Cloud Business Platform

"We’ve seen high engagement across our teams, improved collaboration through mutual understanding, and a stronger, more caring team culture."

CHALLENGES

High complexity made team
effectiveness a business need

For Google Cloud, the issue was not whether manager development mattered. It was how to make it work at scale across a highly dynamic technical organization.

Distributed teams across every time zone

The organization is heavily distributed, with teams across North America, Europe, and India. That created constant coordination overhead across time zones and working styles.

Team effectiveness could not depend on one person

Google already invested in manager development, but Todd made clear that “doing one-off development of managers was necessary, but not sufficient.” The real challenge was improving the team as a whole.

Breadth across business-critical functions

The org supported many different business functions, each with its own stakeholders, leadership chains, and priorities. That made alignment and execution more complex than a single-function engineering org.

One-size-fits-all would not hold up

New teams, mature teams, new joiners, and different regions all had different needs. A rigid program would not stick across a 1,200-person organization.

SOLUTION

Google Cloud deployed a scalable, self-service model that managers could actually use

Rising Team fit because it matched the realities of a fast-moving engineering-led organization: high complexity, limited time, and a need for sustainable adoption.

Embedded into the operating rhythm

Rather than adding big new programs, Google Cloud used a lightweight quarterly cadence. The model landed at one development or connection kit plus two minis per quarter.

Easy, self-service, and on-demand

Todd emphasized that the system needed to be “easy to use” and “self-service.” Managers could run sessions when they made sense for their teams, which increased adoption across a complex org.

Launch and iterate, not mandate and hope

Google rolled out Rising Team the same way it rolls out products: start with smaller groups, learn fast, then expand. The team adjusted the cadence, reduced overload, and added flexibility as it learned what worked

Manager guidance with local agency

The organization made recommendations, but managers kept the freedom to choose what their teams needed most. That balance helped the system stay relevant across different stages of team formation and maturity.

RESULTS

More sessions led to stronger outcomes
across the org

Google Cloud saw strong adoption signals early, then broader organizational patterns that reinforced the value of a continuous model.

Trust & connection was a consistent strength

Todd said the “feel more connected” measure stood out repeatedly across the rollout. That mattered because connection and psychological safety were core to the team problem Google Cloud was trying to solve.

Engagement rose with continued participation

Google Cloud found that more team sessions meant higher engagement. Teams with repeated exposure reported stronger outcomes across support, resilience, inclusion, and manager effectiveness.

Retention signals were
positive

Participation was associated with a greater likelihood of retention, with higher lift among teams that had completed more sessions and more recent sessions.

WHY IT WORKED

Sustainable, relevant, and built into
the way the org operates

Rising Team worked because it matched the realities of a large technical organization. It respected managers’ time, gave teams flexibility, and made team development part of the way work gets done.

A stronger foundation for change

Connection, trust, and safety created a stronger base for the organization. In periods of change, that foundation helped teams adapt faster and work through uncertainty more effectively.

An always-on approach

Team effectiveness was treated as an ongoing investment, not a once-a-year event. The value came from consistent repetition, not a single big moment.

Shared language across teams

As participation grew, teams built a common language and shared reference points across managers and groups. That helped the approach become more self-sustaining over time.

Scale shaped by iteration

The rollout was refined as the organization learned what worked. Adjustments to cadence, structure, and manager flexibility made the model sustainable enough to scale.

1,000+

94%

30%

12%

An always-on system for team effectiveness in a fast-moving technical org

“Rising Team empowers us to drive our work more effectively. We have seen high engagement across our teams.“

"We’ve seen high engagement across our teams, improved collaboration through mutual understanding, and a stronger, more caring team culture."

High complexity made team effectiveness a business need

Google Cloud deployed a scalable, self-service model that managers could actually use

“Teams are way more resilient, and they’re way more able to adapt.”

“Teams are way more resilient, and they’re way more able to adapt.”

More sessions led to stronger outcomes across the org

Sustainable, relevant, and built into the way the org operates

Build stronger technical teams that can adapt to change

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