[deleted]
Microsoft reorganizes
41–50 of 283 posts
Re: Microsoft reorganizes
#42http://taffywilliams.blogspot.com/2011/07/write-3-letters-yo... A new CEO was hired to replace an outgoing CEO. The outgoing CEO met with the incoming CEO for an exit interview. During the discussion, the departing CEO stated he had placed 3 very important letters in his drawer just as his predecessor had done for him. He explained that the new CEO would find opening the letters in order most useful when a serious ev…
I actually did this when I was leaving as the only division systems admin, half-jokingly since my replacement was a friend. Except in the case where I read it was "Blame your predecessor", "Blame the old technology", "Write 3 Letters."
Re: Microsoft reorganizes
#43If their new tack is as sharp and focused as that memo, Microsoft is in trouble.
"We will be all things to all people by getting rid of anything that is not a huge profit center. Those profit centers will be organized in appropriate silos. Those silos will assign people to product committees for collaboration with other silos on individual products. Each committee will have a leader (Champion) who reports to the layer just below me. This new, tighter, organization will make us leaner and more nimble."
Sounds -- as good as it could for a large organization I guess but there is a lot of contradiction. Greater reach through consolidation? Nimble action through layers of management? We are all One except for these few special cases? Build on our character as Microsoft but emulate Apple? One Strategy through rigidly defined feifdoms with their own Champions battling for influence?
I also love their list of 'high-value activities' "high-value activities — serious fun, meetings, tasks, research, information assurance and IT/Dev workloads" Does anyone know what they mean by this?
And all of this couched in such thick Business-Speak that 10 different people will come away with 10 different messages.
Mr. Ballmer. For the love of all of the brilliant people you employ, step down. It's time.
Re: Microsoft reorganizes
#44What does 'dotted line report' mean?
An artifact of a form of management known as 'Matrix Management'. Any given employee could have 2 or more managers that they report to. If you want to expose your engineers directly to politics and managerial power struggles there is no better way...
Re: Microsoft reorganizes
#45Lets if anything changes.
Re: Microsoft reorganizes
#46http://taffywilliams.blogspot.com/2011/07/write-3-letters-yo... A new CEO was hired to replace an outgoing CEO. The outgoing CEO met with the incoming CEO for an exit interview. During the discussion, the departing CEO stated he had placed 3 very important letters in his drawer just as his predecessor had done for him. He explained that the new CEO would find opening the letters in order most useful when a serious ev…
How many second letters does Ballmer have?
http://www.mondaynote.com/2010/05/30/ballmer-just-opened-the...
Re: Microsoft reorganizes
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
If OP had said criticized Microsoft for moving toward being more closed, I would have completely agreed with him (to the extent that it is relevant to the link, which it isn't really). But he said "full steam ahead to the biggest walled garden on earth. We are still the Borg", and so his comment loses all credibility.
Number of time desktop/workstation is used in the memo - 0, number of times PC - 4 , 3 of them about the past. Number of times devices is used 20+, experience - 10+ - microsoft from today officialy desires to be looked as a device/experience company when dealing with end users. That is full steam ahead to appleland for me. And it will be closed and walled future. WP8 and W8 demonstrated the MS attitude good enough. T…
I'm not disagreeing with your general point, I'm just saying that if you cut out the hyperbole and bring your criticism down to a more rational level it would carry a lot more force. "Microsoft is becoming more closed, and that is a bad thing for x,y,z reasons" carries a lot more weight to me than "Microsoft are the worst company in the world, and are literally the Borg".
This is not just directed at you, it seems to be a common thing with criticism of Microsoft - so over the top that rational discussion of what they are doing right and wrong gets thrown out the window.
Re: Microsoft reorganizes
#48If their new tack is as sharp and focused as that memo, Microsoft is in trouble. "We will be all things to all people by getting rid of anything that is not a huge profit center. Those profit centers will be organized in appropriate silos. Those silos will assign people to product committees for collaboration with other silos on individual products. Each committee will have a leader (Champion) who reports to the laye…
It's doublespeak straight out of 1984.
Re: Microsoft reorganizes
#49I think this is a positive move for Microsoft. In particular, having all OS development work (including desktop, phone and XBox) looks like a good idea, as I've heard there have been a lot of problems with Windows Phone being managed on the periphery.
I'm not sure this is such a great idea. Doesn't the OS for the XBox have entirely different concerns than Windows for Enterprise? You cannot make an OS that works just as well for Billy the 10 year old gamer, and Mega Co. with 400,000 employees. Apple's recognized this and decided to pretty much abandon enterprise. Linux has fragmented into different distributions (server, desktop, mobile) each with a different focus…
Personally, as a consumer I like using Apple products over MS, and I like using Microsoft products as an enterprise user (I'm a programmer). In my perfect world, the two companies would complement each other. Typically Microsoft has done far better in the enterprise versus consumers (the xbox is the rare exception). Apple is the reverse.
Re: Microsoft reorganizes
#50If their new tack is as sharp and focused as that memo, Microsoft is in trouble. "We will be all things to all people by getting rid of anything that is not a huge profit center. Those profit centers will be organized in appropriate silos. Those silos will assign people to product committees for collaboration with other silos on individual products. Each committee will have a leader (Champion) who reports to the laye…
Yes, having Champions in silos does seem a little bit "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome", doesn't it.