The “Google Shared Drive” Trap

One Google Drive.
Two hundred shared folders.
Zero control.

It starts with the best intentions:
“Let’s create a shared space where everyone can collaborate.”

Then reality kicks in:

• Someone uploads an outdated template
• Someone else creates a “final” version — but nobody knows it
• The marketing team builds its own folder structure
• The sales team creates another one
• HR stores confidential documents next to memes

Now, nobody knows where to look.
Nobody trusts what’s “latest.”
Nobody knows who has access to what.

Here’s what I see over and over:
Google Drive turns from a single source of truth
…into a graveyard of PDFs, decks, and spreadsheets.

And worse?
Without governance, sensitive data leaks out fast.
People forward links.
Links stay public.
Suddenly, documents meant for five people are indexed by Google.

The painful reality:
More storage won’t fix the problem.
More folders won’t fix the problem.

Structure will.

Before you create the next shared folder, ask:

• Who needs access?
• Where does this live in our hierarchy?
• What naming rules do we follow?
• Who owns clean-up when the project’s done?

Takeaway:
Chaos doesn’t happen overnight.
It happens one “temporary” folder at a time.
Set rules now, or spend double the time fixing mistakes later.

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