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Microsoft reorganizes

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261–270 of 283 posts

Re: Microsoft reorganizes

#261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was, but the stack overflowed.

The stack of OS upgrades? Or the stack of critical software updates? Or the stack of windows on the unmanageable, broken-metaphor 'powered' desktop? Or the stack of useless Microsoft 'powered' devices now in landfill? So many stacks. So little time.

Well those aren't actually stacks but a kind of unordered heap called a pile.

Re: Microsoft reorganizes

#262
post #238
post #88

I almost choked when I read Microsoft's new mission statement: "our strategy will focus on creating a family of devices and services for individuals and businesses that empower people around the globe at home, at work and on the go, for the activities they value most." In other words, Ballmer wants the company to "focus" on being everything to everyone! Not a good sign for the business. -- PS. Compare Ballmer's long,…

Is it weird that Google's mission statement doesn't describe their primary revenue stream? I suppose they could say that they're making information universally accessible and useful to individuals as well as advertisers. But I don't know, their mission statement makes them sound like the best library ever. Not an advertising company.

Apparently, they see advertising as a means to an end. At least, that is what one can deduce from comparing their mission statement with their activities.

Google Search, Google Scholar, Google Books and Google Maps are what they want to do to collect the information, and they think they need mobile phones and self-driving cars to make it universally accessible (that, or that is on the fringe. A mission statement has to ride between being too vague and only barely describing parts of the business)

Re: Microsoft reorganizes

#263
post #238
post #88

I almost choked when I read Microsoft's new mission statement: "our strategy will focus on creating a family of devices and services for individuals and businesses that empower people around the globe at home, at work and on the go, for the activities they value most." In other words, Ballmer wants the company to "focus" on being everything to everyone! Not a good sign for the business. -- PS. Compare Ballmer's long,…

Is it weird that Google's mission statement doesn't describe their primary revenue stream? I suppose they could say that they're making information universally accessible and useful to individuals as well as advertisers. But I don't know, their mission statement makes them sound like the best library ever. Not an advertising company.

You dont understand what is the purpose statement for. Its not to describe how you make money, its to explain what your company raison d'etre is.

Re: Microsoft reorganizes

#264

This is the change : "This means we will organize the company by function: Engineering (including supply chain and datacenters), Marketing, Business Development and Evangelism, Advanced Strategy and Research, Finance, HR, Legal, and COO (including field, support, commercial operations and IT). Each discipline will help drive our overall strategy. Each discipline will also be charged with improving our core capabiliti…

> Perhaps the most profound was that Microsoft has basically said "Oh by the way, the PC is dead." and by that tacit admission they fulfill the prophecy of this being the 'post PC' era All this talk about the "Post PC" era is misguided, with people leaving out the elephant in the room. It's not PCs that are dead - PCs are fine, you can find one in most homes and most people interact with PCs daily. This isn't going t…

This is a great build-up to making the point that the server farm is where a lot of the expense of software and its support will go. So, you'd want to be a company that could build and support server software and do great integration with every client.

Re: Microsoft reorganizes

#265
post #88

I almost choked when I read Microsoft's new mission statement: "our strategy will focus on creating a family of devices and services for individuals and businesses that empower people around the globe at home, at work and on the go, for the activities they value most." In other words, Ballmer wants the company to "focus" on being everything to everyone! Not a good sign for the business. -- PS. Compare Ballmer's long,…

empower

That's such an overused word in marketing language. Everybody wants to "empower users", "empower people", "empower customers", "empower clients". What does that even mean anymore? Are we the downtrodden and unwashed without their "family of devices"? Marketing language in itself is something that really grates my nerves, but "empower" is the worst.

Re: Microsoft reorganizes

#266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To elaborate further, the point of this memo isn't to alert the shareholders of Microsoft's organizational changes, it's about easing this transition with a motivational message about innovation and what not. Even if the corporation's main aim is to benefit its shareholders, that unnecessary line is going to come across as alienating to employees, who probably care very little about how these changes will affect weal…

Ah yes, I see now. I definitely agree with you then. That line will most likely not sit well with employees that don't give a damn about the shareholders and would rather just create amazing products.

If they are really interested in creating amazing products evidently they're working for the wrong company.

Re: Microsoft reorganizes

#268
post #88

I almost choked when I read Microsoft's new mission statement: "our strategy will focus on creating a family of devices and services for individuals and businesses that empower people around the globe at home, at work and on the go, for the activities they value most." In other words, Ballmer wants the company to "focus" on being everything to everyone! Not a good sign for the business. -- PS. Compare Ballmer's long,…

That is a fantastic example of "Bad Strategy". It's fluffy, it doesn't mean anything, there's no tangible policy that can be derived from the grand statement, and it doesn't say "no" to anything.

For more discussion of that, and ways to do strategy better, I highly recommend "Good Strategy, Bad Strategy".

Re: Microsoft reorganizes

#269
post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it weird that Google's mission statement doesn't describe their primary revenue stream? I suppose they could say that they're making information universally accessible and useful to individuals as well as advertisers. But I don't know, their mission statement makes them sound like the best library ever. Not an advertising company.

You dont understand what is the purpose statement for. Its not to describe how you make money, its to explain what your company raison d'etre is.

Because it's not like what you do, you become, or anything.

Re: Microsoft reorganizes

#270

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah yes, I see now. I definitely agree with you then. That line will most likely not sit well with employees that don't give a damn about the shareholders and would rather just create amazing products.

Most Microsoft employees are Microsoft shareholders, so we have an interest in higher stock prices also.

How's that felt over the past decade?
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