In its 23-year lifetime, Microsoft has had three distinct phases. The first,
from 1975 to 1989, was characterized by both bold thrusts into new businesses.
Among their many successes were MS-DOS, Word, Excel, Macintosh software and
Windows. The company relied on the success of Windows, banking every penny they
had on its success, which paid off in Microsoft's second phase from 1990, when
Windows 3.0 was released, to 1994. Customer driven change also marked phase two.
Customers wanted operating systems that blended the best of Windows, UNIX, and
NetWare, this was the beginning of Windows NT. Customers wanted the best of
Microsoft’s productivity tools to work better together, so Microsoft Office was
created to integrate the software. Recognizing the need to develop fundamental
advances in software, Microsoft created Microsoft research. In 1995 Microsoft
entered phase three, taking advantage of tremendous opportunities offered by the
Internet. Since 1995 Microsoft has reinvented itself so that, today, everything
Microsoft creates or updates leverages with the Internet. In the beginning
Gates' was mainly concerned and involved with technical development of new
products in order to attract consumers. Since Microsoft controls the largest
percentage of the market than any of its competitors Gates' puts more focus on
the organization itself and its employees. Microsoft's mission is to continually
advance and improve software technology and to make it easier, more cost
effective and more enjoyable for people to use computers. In order for Microsoft
to continue on its fruitful path the development of intelligent decision makers,
otherwise known as managers, must be trained.
Gates' realizes the ROI of his creation relies on every single
individual, which makes up the organization called Microsoft. He also knows he
cannot be at the table to make ever single day-to-day decision, instead of
trying to be in a hundred place at oncece Gates' attempts to train well oiled
managers. He has even published articles that reveal his expectations and
qualities he attempts to instill into Microsoft managers. Here are Bill's ten
qualities of a good employee: 1. Choose a field thoughtfully. By choosing a
field one enjoys it makes it easier to generate enthusiasm towards one's work.
This is true for both a manager and an employee. 2. Hire carefully and be
willing to fire. A strong team is vital, because a mediocre team provides
mediocre results, no matter how well it is managed. 3. Create a productive
environment. This is a particular challenge because it requires different
approaches depending on the environment. Sometimes productivity is maximized by
providing everybody his or her own office and other times by moving everybody
into open space. Sometimes financial incentives stimulates productivity and
motivation. Usually a mixture of approaches is necessary to reach desired
productivity. 4. Define success. This is done by providing employees with a
clear definition of success and how they should measure their achievements.
Goals must be realistic. For example, project schedules must be set those who
actually do the work. People will accept a bottom-up deadline they helped set,
but maybe overwhelmed by a schedule imposed from upper management that doesn't
map reality. Unachievable goals undermine an organization. 5. To be a good
manager, you have to like people and be good at communicating. This quality is
generally impossible to fake. If an individual doesn't genuinely enjoy
interacting with people it will be hard to manage well. 6. Develop your people
to do their jobs better than you can. Transfer your skills to them.
