Google Project Oxygen Manager Assessment

Google's Project Oxygen research pinned down the ten behaviors that separate great managers from the rest. Give your managers honest, anonymous feedback against all ten, and watch the trend.

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Do managers matter? Google proved they do, and here's how.

Google's Project Oxygen set out to prove managers didn't matter, and found they mattered enormously. Its research identified ten behaviors that consistently separate great managers, from strong coaching to sound decision-making (Google expanded the list from eight to ten in 2018). Run this as an upward-feedback check: a manager's direct reports rate them anonymously on all ten behaviors. What comes back is honest feedback aimed at development, not a performance score. Use it to show a manager where they're strong and where they can grow, and to start a better-informed conversation about how they lead.

Dimensions

Ten behaviors of great managers

The ten behaviors Google's Project Oxygen research found consistently distinguish great managers, rated by their direct reports.

  • Is a good coach

    My manager gives me actionable feedback that helps me improve.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

  • Empowers, doesn't micromanage

    My manager trusts me to own my work without micromanaging.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

  • Inclusive, cares about wellbeing

    My manager shows they care about me as a person and includes different perspectives.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

  • Productive & results-oriented

    My manager keeps us focused on the results that matter.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

  • Communicates & listens

    My manager listens, and shares the information we need.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

  • Supports career development

    My manager has had a meaningful conversation with me about my career recently.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

  • Clear vision & strategy

    My manager sets clear goals and direction for the team.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

  • Key technical skills

    My manager has the expertise to advise the team effectively.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

  • Collaborates across the org

    My manager works well across team boundaries.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

  • Strong decision-maker

    My manager makes tough decisions clearly and in good time.

    • Strongly disagree
    • Neutral
    • Strongly agree

When to use this health check

  • As part of a twice-yearly manager development cycle, the way Google runs it.
  • During a new manager's first 90–180 days to establish an early development baseline.
  • When a team's problems seem to point at management rather than at the work itself.

Tips & tricks

  • This rates one manager, so scope each run to a single manager and their direct reports.
  • Keep it anonymous and require 3+ responses to protect that anonymity.
  • Pair it with the manager's own self-assessment to compare the self-view against the team-view.
  • Frame it as development: it's upward feedback for the manager to act on, and nobody gets a performance score.

Frequently asked questions

What is Google's Project Oxygen?
Project Oxygen is a Google people analytics study, later shared through Google's re:Work site, that set out to test whether managers matter. The data showed they matter a great deal, and the study named the specific behaviors that distinguish great managers from the rest.
What are the 10 behaviors of great managers?
They are: is a good coach; empowers the team and doesn't micromanage; is inclusive and cares about wellbeing; is productive and results-oriented; communicates and listens; supports career development; has a clear vision and strategy; has key technical skills to advise the team; collaborates across the organization; and is a strong decision-maker. Google expanded the original eight to ten in 2018.
Is this a performance review?
No, it's developmental upward feedback. Direct reports rate their manager anonymously to help that manager grow, and the results aren't an appraisal.
What questions are in a Project Oxygen assessment?
Ten statements, one for each behavior Google identified, written from a direct report's point of view, such as "My manager gives me actionable feedback that helps me improve." Each direct report rates how much they agree on a five-point scale. TeamRetro uses its own wording for each behavior.
Is this Google's official Project Oxygen survey?
No. It's TeamRetro's own assessment, built on the ten behaviors Google published through re:Work, and TeamRetro isn't affiliated with Google.
How often should managers run a Project Oxygen assessment?
Every six months is the usual cadence. That's long enough for a manager to act on the feedback and for the team to notice, and short enough to show a trend. Teams going through a lot of change sometimes run it quarterly.

Adapted from Google's re:Work Project Oxygen research and Manager Feedback Survey (behaviors updated 2018).

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