career zen at microsoft

Ahmad Mahdi – CISSP, CISMInformation Security & Risk MgmtACE Infrastructure Services Team

• What I’ve learned

• Insight I can contribute as a manager at Microsoft for the last 5 years

Introduction

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• Worked under three different managers in the past five years

• Managed four different teams• Results

About me

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WHAT’S THE SECRET TO SUCCESS?(AT MICROSOFT ANYWAY…)

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RATE YOURSELF…

Agenda

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The Academic Scale

D = Less than AverageC = AverageB = A bit better than someA = Better than mostA+ = The best (aka Superstar)

Credit: Mario Pipkin

Agenda

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The “Real Life” Scale

B+ = Less than averageA- = Average (AKA Achieved)A = A bit better than someA+ = Better than most (AKA Exceeded)A+ and extra credit = The Superstar

Credit: Mario Pipkin

• Doing what you’re told… is average

Remember this…. PLEASE:

8Credit: Mario Pipkin

Moving Beyond “Achieved”

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Achieved Commit and deliver (Average)

Achieved+ Commit and over-deliver

Exceeded Commit, over-deliver, initiate and innovate

Exceeded+ Commit, over-deliver, innovate, initiate, being self-aware, repeatedly make others great, leave a positive legacy!

Credit: Mario Pipkin

Agenda

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Understand Team Direction (Alignment)

• Make it a priority• Align your desires with business direction• Communicate in terms of business benefit• Watch for trends and sudden changes in direction• Understand the “command” structure• Star gazing… (what are the “stars” on the team

doing?)

Credit: Mario Pipkin

Where does your passion come from?

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• Are you doing what you love?• Why is Microsoft obsessed with “passion”?• BRING YOUR “A” GAME.

What do you expect from others and what is expected from you?

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• Consistency of excellent execution – is expected• Helping others on the team – is expected• Continuous self improvement – is expected• Recognizing problems and solving them – is expected• Showing leadership – is expected

Let’s discuss…

Consistency of execution

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• Average response time• Does your manager check your work?• What do you do when you make a mistake?

Let’s discuss…

What are you owed?

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The realities at Microsoft

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• Leadership skills are essential in every role• Technical skills are important, but not enough by

themselves any longer• Assess your interpersonal skills, leadership skills,

organizational “agility” skills just as often• You must be “coachable”• You must be trustworthy, in big ways and small• Calculated risk taking is rewarded – acceptable failures

are just that… acceptable.• Few managers like “surprises”, get ahead of things

before they blow up

Supervision, Management & Leadership

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• Understand the difference between supervision, management & leadership

• Even if you’re not in a “management” role, you can still manage tasks and projects, to demonstrate leadership continuously

• Also understand the different styles of leadership• Understand your manager’s likes & dislikes• What's their default “go to” strategy?

Thought leadership

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• Think… in the past 12 months, what “new” innovation have you introduced to the team/peers/org?

• Tie thought leadership to the organization’s objectives

Self improvement

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• There is no standing still• If you are, you’re moving backwards… while everyone

else is passing you by• Think… what new skills do you possess today that you

didn’t possess six months ago? How about twelve months ago?

• Are those skills transferable, useful, critical?• Who’s responsibility is your self improvement?

Your manager and you

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• Learn signs of the “manager tap dance” • Technical leaders used to be promoted to people

managers… however:• #1 reason people used to leave Microsoft was because of poor

managers• Now, much more likely people are promoted on their ability

to manage, the company has invested in managers through extensive training… still an ongoing process

• Watch and learn, what is your manager concerned about?• Don’t ask “how am I performing in relation to person X”…

ask “in your opinion, what are the characteristics of a blah” (where blah is level, commitment ranking, contribution ranking or other differentiator)

• Solve problems and make things happen

Your manager and you (cont’d)

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• How best to use your manager?• Build advocacy• Your biggest fan• Gives you the feedback you need when you ask for it• Looks for opportunities for you

Your manager and you (cont’d)

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• What “levers” does a manager have?• Answer:… not many

• Bonuses & awards• Stock• Merit increases (maybe this year?)• Interesting work & challenges• Great team… great work environment… making your life easier• And one more…• Trust… that your manager has got your back

Charting your own course

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• No one will build your career path for you, you own that responsibility

• Understand what you want, observe what others who have what you want do, than incorporate it into your plan

• Tell others about what you want to do and how you’re doing it

Successful Personal Behavior

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• Vigorous debate is ‘okay’• Be respectful• Disagree with their position, not with them• Base your argument on facts

• However, this is not a democracy… understand what that means

• Support the organization’s decisions once the debate has closed…

• if you can’t – its time to move on

Successful Personal Behavior (cont’d)

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• No one likes complainers who complain for just the sake of it

• Wrap your complaint in terms that make it relevant…AND

• Ensure you always bring your own proposals for solutions to the table when you do it

• Trust is hard won, and easily lost… • Who don’t you trust?• Why?

Successful Personal Behavior (cont’d)

Successful Personal Behavior (cont’d)

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• People are 3 dimensional, not black & white• Understand what motivates them… • Just because something is an “A+” priority for you,

doesn’t mean it is for them• Be likeable.• Listen more than you talk• Building relationships is just as important as any

other task you do

Impact & Influence

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• Why is the ability to persuade so important?• The lowest common denominator is an argument…• Even if you win… you’ve probably lost• Allow others to feel as invested as you are• Understand that… different things motivate different

people

Commitments

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• Commitments matter… are they accurate, concise and measurable?

• Do you have a clear idea of what is expected?• Figure out how to tie your commitments to your

personal goals… align them with the organization’s goals• How many of your commitments are HARD and

CHALLENGING?

Promotions

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• Microsoft’s philosophy is not “lets give this to someone and see if they can do it…”

• Its “s/he is already doing it, lets recognize that formally”

The three things they tell you… and one that goes unsaid:• Budget• Business justification• Employee readiness• What’s in it for the organization?

Microsoft’s review process

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• Understand who your advocates are… how many do you have?

• What would those advocates say about you?• Are you thinking: “I’m not interested in a popularity

contest”?• If you’re not your own biggest cheerleader, do you

expect someone else to be?• Are you clear on what your role’s expectations are?• Would you win the “Titanic life boat game”?

• Use the tools you have:• Mentorship• Strategic initiatives • Social groups

Building your network

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Contribution Rankings

Intellectual Horsepower

Problem Solver

Leadership

Ambition

Weak Business Partnering

Not a team player

Negative Attitude

“Topped out”

Poor job “fit”

10%

70%

20%Initiative

Life’s too short…

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Enjoy what you do!!

If you want to chat… drop me a line: ahmadm