A LL I REALLY N EED

TO K N OW I N
B USI N ESS I L EARN ED
A T M I CROSOFT
I n si d e r St r a t e g i e s t o He l p You Su ccee d
JULI E BI CK
 All I Really Need to Know in Business - Page 1

MAIN IDEA
As one of the world’s most successful companies, Microsoft attracts a lot of media attention and intensive scrutiny. It also suggests
images of intensive, ruthless competitors and a work-around-the-clock culture headed by young multi-millionaires who are driven
by the thrill of achievement rather than by the need for financial security.

Microsoft may be some or all of those things, but it is also an excellent training ground for business managers, because of its intense
environment in which constantly changing, highly competitive markets can result in phenomenal growth rates. Opportunities to learn
management skills that might take years to develop in other companies can emerge within weeks at Microsoft. Similarly, the
expectations of success that surround Microsoft creates a corporate culture which has not only absorbed those pressues, but
consistently outstanding delivered growth year after year.

The ideas contained in this book are a distillation of watching what works and doesn’t work within Microsoft. The strong character
traits of good leaders and the lessons that can be learnt from their mistakes are illuminating and instructive. The role of mentors and
assuming control for the management and direction of your own career is explained. The same organizational, managerial and
personal work habits that have been used by Microsoft to become successful can also be adapted and applied beneficially elsewhere.

‘‘The things I learned about doing my job -- being a manager, running a business and keeping my career on track -- can be applied
to any field, by anyone. So no matter what industry you’re in, try these lessons out. See what happens.’’
-- Julie Bick

1. ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RUNNING A BUSINESS I LEARNED AT MICROSOFT . . . . . . . . . . Pages 2 - 3
The process of running any business is deceptively easy to describe but harder to achieve:
1. Keep in contact with your customers
2. Pay attention to the market so you can exploit new openings
3. Let your employees know they can fail now and then.
4. Stay focused on the drive to win.

2. ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW TO DO MY JOB WELL I LEARNED AT MICROSOFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 3 - 4

In the good old days of business, doing your job well simply meant completing assignments on time and
within budget. Today, however, standing out at work requires you to go beyond your direct responsibilities
and think about the impact of your work on the company as a whole, and to figure out creative ways to
get things under control. That’s much more demanding.

3. ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW TO BE A GOOD BOSS I LEARNED AT MICROSOFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 5 - 6

In strong companies, the best employees have their pick of places to work. To attract that type of employee
to the department or division you manage, you have to offer an opportunity for them to excel.

4. ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COMMUNICATION I LEARNED AT MICROSOFT . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 6 - 7

At times, yelling is the most appropriate way to get a message across. Other times, whispering is far more
effective. Success in business communicating, is based on knowing which tool to use in any given
situation.

5. ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MANAGING MY CAREER I LEARNED AT MICROSOFT . . . . . . . . Pages 7 - 8
While being successful in your current position is important, don’t forget to manage your overall career
effectively as well. The person who cares most about your career is yourself - therefore, don’t leave it in
anyone else’s hands.

1.
ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RUNNING A
BUSINESS I LEARNED AT MICROSOFT
Main Idea
The process of running any business is deceptively easy to
describe but harder to achieve:
1. Keep in contact with your customers
2. Pay attention to the market so you can exploit new openings
3. Let your employees know they can fail now and then.
4. Stay focused on the drive to win.
Supporting Ideas
Lesson 1
Eat your own dog food, but take your own
company’s press releases with a grain of salt.
Whenever your company is developing a new product, every
employee should be gaining hands-on experience with using the
product themselves. That way, they will be able to distinguish
between the public relations department generated list of
features and what really delivers added-value to customers and
clients.
Lesson 2
Examine your mistakes, and let people fail sometimes.
The most valuable lessons for any company come not from its
successes but from its failures. Go through failed projects in
detail, not to assign blame but to glean every piece of information
on what went wrong, and why. Accept mistakes as part of the
process of trying something new, and encourage employees to
try new ideas, even if they don’t always pan out.
Lesson 3
Get employees alongside customers
and business partners at every possible opportunity.
If you’re designing a new product, the earlier you get detailed
customer input the better. It will allow you to rework those
features that make little sense to the customer. In addition,
business partners will be able to provide real-world perspective
on an array of issues directly applicable to the product or service
you’re operating. Take advantage of their input.
Lesson 4
Look inside your company for creative
ideas instead of hiring outside experts.
Sometimes, companies go to outside experts for creative
marketing ideas and ignore the development team and other
internal company resources. Often, however, those who have
been intimately involved with developing a product will have
great ideas on what to name it, how to market it and how to
manage the product. Give them the first chance to influence the
marketing program.
Lesson 5
Marketing has to be targeted to be effective.
When Microsoft introduced Excel (a spreadsheet program) for
the Apple Macintosh, it marketed it as a superior product over
Lotus 1-2-3 running on an IBM PC. That gave Macintosh users
with ammunition for why they chose the Mac over an IBM PC.
When Excel for the PC was introduced, Lotus 1-2-3 users were
complimented for choosing the best available software for the
time, and that a new and improved product was now available.
To be truly effective, marketing has to be flexible enough to be
able to offer different benefits to different groups.
All I Really Need to Know in Business - Page 2
Lesson 6
Every business process should be improving over time.
Always look for innovative ways to automate and streamline
routine tasks, especially those that are done on a daily basis.
Even better, find ways to inject a little humor into the process
while you try and improve it. There’s no reason work has to be
dull to be productive.
Lesson 7
Split large projects into small business units where
employees have ownership over their decisions.
Business projects tend to gravitate towards a bigger is better
mentality. In reality, however, smaller is always more productive
and more efficient. Try and set up small, entreprenuerial
business units that can ‘‘own’’ and be responsible for specified
features of the larger project. That way, employees will be able
to see the impact of the decisions they make.
Lesson 8
Act like a market leader.
Market leaders are humble, avoid cockiness and never belittle
their competitors. They also put a human face on the company’s
products and services, and know their competitors personally. A
market leader believes healthy competition is good, and looks
for opportunities to expand the overall market size for everyone.
Lesson 9
If you can’t win, look for ways to change the rules.
When trying to break into an existing market with a new product,
don’t just try and offer the same as everyone else. That’s a hard
sell. A far better strategy is to try and change the competitive
playing field by introducing a new product or service that is
markedly different from everyone else’s, and with more added
value features.
Lesson 10
Always think three moves ahead.
As well as planning a price cut, you should also be thinking about
what you’ll do if your competitor responds by matching our price
cut. Or how to offset a competitor’s product release with a news
release of your own. Business planning should always take into
account the realities of the marketplace, and allow for
competitive responses.
Lesson 11
Hit ’em where they ain’t.
When going head-to-head against a well established competitor,
look for niche markets they don’t already own as a viable entry
point. Don’t take them on where they’re strongest, but look for
some market segment they don’t address and start there.
Lesson 12
A company can change its image.
A company like Microsoft is involved in a highly technical field,
and there is always the temptation to use strictly technical
marketing themes. While that would have some benefits,
Microsoft has actually generated far more success by focusing
more on the non-technical and fun aspects of their products. That
has allowed the company to become positioned as fun and
exciting. Any company can change their image, as long as the
new image is compelling, credible and consistent.

Lesson 12
Win-win deals are possible to structure if both parties focus
on what they care about and what their partners care about.
Usually, parties to a negotiation have different objectives they
want to achieve. The best business transactions are always
structured so each party achieves what it wants - the proverbial
win-win situation.
Lesson 13
Try it out in the real world.
When developing a new product or service, get it in front of its
target audience as soon as possible. That will provide worthwhile
feedback on how to develop it further. Incrementally attacking a
large problem is usually most effective.
Lesson 14
Make big bets.
Microsoft bet millions of dollars and the time of its best
programmers on making Windows a success. Without that kind
of ‘‘bet the company’s future’’ investment, the product may not
have generated enough momentum to succeed.
Lesson 15
Big events make excellent planning deadlines.
To avoid getting bogged down on a project, schedule a public
presentation or launch date. That will force everyone within the
company to focus, to make the hard decisions and to get future
product plans and strategies finalized.
Lesson 16
Give employees a piece of the pie.
Microsoft is famous for issuing stock options to its employees.
This has several advantages. As part owners, Microsoft
employees follow the company’s fortunes as reported in the
financial press, and understand how they are perceived. They
also tend to know more about their company’s business, even
those parts of the company’s operations with which they have
little day-to-day contact with. Employees who are part owners
tend to act like owners as well, taking on extra assignments or
making decisions they realize will benefit the company. And,
spreading stock ownership throughout the entire company
creates loyal employees who get the chance to share in the
wealth generated by their efforts - another win-win situation in
which two differing perspectives are met.
Key Thoughts
‘‘If you fire the person who failed, you’re throwing away the value
of the experience.’’
-- Russ Siegelman, Vice President, Microsoft
‘‘You usually can’t win by doing the exact same thing as your
competitor, but ten percent better. You need to change the rules
to get ahead. Offer something else.’’
-- Chris Peters, Vice President, Microsoft
‘‘Bill Gates has likened the Internet to the Gold Rush. It’s hard to
know if the real winner will be the guy who strikes a vein or the
people selling the pans to the miners. But when it happens, we’ll
be there.’’
-- Jeff Thiel, Director of Business Development, Microsoft
All I Really Need to Know in Business - Page 3
2.
ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW TO DO MY JOB
WELL I LEARNED AT MICROSOFT
Main Idea
In the good old days of business, doing your job well simply
meant completing assignments on time and within budget.
Today, however, standing out at work requires you to go beyond
your direct responsibilities and think about the impact of your
work on the company as a whole, and to figure out creative ways
to get things under control. That’s much more demanding.
Supporting Ideas
Lesson 1
The elevator test: Can you present in 30-seconds the most
compelling reasons for people to buy your product?
At Microsoft, marketers and salespeople are expected to be able
to present a convincing explanation of a product’s positioning
and key benefits in 30-seconds. They’re prepared to
professionally discuss their products at the literal drop of a hat,
whenever any opportunity arises.
Lesson 2
Know your customers so thoroughly that you understand
their motivations and requirements.
Microsoft new product plans always detail prospective
customers in great detail and on the foundation of numerous
potential user surveys. Similarly, Microsoft also bases marketing
programs on the foundation of studying users of competing
products, offering them compelling reasons to make a switch.
Lesson 3
Set up internal SWOT (strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, threats) teams to look at your company from
your competition’s perspective. How can they attack you?
Ask: If you were your own company’s greatest competitor, what
would you do? Put together a dummy sales strategy and
marketing plan for them. Think like the competition first, and then
turn around and develop strategies for how to respond if, in fact,
your competitors move in that direction.
Lesson 4
Know your business inside and out.
That way, you can spot trends, make better decisions (especially
at critical moments) and defend your ideas to your co-workers
and managers. In short, intense and detailed knowledge will
enable you to do your job better.
Lesson 5
Know the questions your boss will ask during your
presentation, and be prepared to answer them concisely.
It always going to be easier to develop strong, persuasive
answers when you’re working alone than it will be in a room with
everyone waiting for your answer. Anticipate what will come up
and prepare accordingly.
Lesson 6
Always make decisions based on your answer to the
question: ‘‘If I owned the company, what would I do, or want
my employees to do in this situation?’’
Developing an ability to think of things from the broader company
perspective is very worthwhile. Never get into a situation where
you’re at cross purposes with other divisions of the company.
Look for ways to work together. That’s the true owner’s
perspective.

Lesson 7
Work smart instead of long.
The ability to cut through the minor issues to get to the one or
two items that create added value for the business is important.
Save your best efforts for those issues that will impact the
company significantly, and try to eliminate everything else.
Lesson 8
Never bluff if you don’t know something.
Saying, ‘‘I don’t know, but I’ll find out for you’’ is better
than trying to misrepresent a guess as a fact.
Try and prepare beforehand as thoroughly as possible, but if
someone throws an obscure question, don’t be afraid to admit
you need to go find the answer for them. When you follow
through with them, they’ll be impressed with your thoroughness
and professionalism.
Lesson 9
In a sticky situation, a little self-depreciating humor
can go a long way to getting you back on track.
Never underestimate the soothing power of a few humorous
comments when you’ve embarrassed yourself or when things
haven’t gone according to plan. You’ll find most people have
been in similar situations themselves, and will be more than
willing to chuckle along so long as you’re prepared to laugh at
yourself a little.
Lesson 10
Real employees do eat lunch.
In fact, it’s a great chance to gather information and become
aware of new opportunities around the company if you regularly
hang out with your coworkers. And, it gives you the chance to
come back at your work with renewed vigor and freshness after
a complete change of pace.
Lesson 11
Creativity at its best is not a one-man effort. Get your
colleagues in on the action. A much better idea will emerge.
Actually, most of your coworkers will be flattered by the chance
to brainstorm a little on something new rather than bothered. And
getting other people’s perspective -- from throughout the
company -- will result in a better, bulletproof idea emerging. Be
inspired by other people’s efforts on your projects.
Lesson 12
Take on only those work assignments you can actually do,
and if for some reason circumstances change, find someone
who can finish your assignments for you.
If you don’t deliver on whatever you’ve promised, nobody will
ever give you important to do. They won’t trust you.
Lesson 13
Whenever it comes down to other people’s experience
versus your instincts, go with your instincts.
Fight hard for whatever your instincts tell you is the right thing to
do in any specific situation, even if that puts you at odds with
other people who have more experience than you. Everyone
else will respect where you’re coming from.
Lesson 14
Always make your boss look good.
The ideal work relationship is to work for someone that you are
trying to make a star performer, and who is trying to do the same
for you. Whenever your boss succeeds, some of that glow will
rub off on the members of his team. That’s a smart and affective
way to move ahead in the company.
All I Really Need to Know in Business - Page 4
Lesson 15
Be aware of and never waste your manager’s time.
If you need input, cut straight to the chase. Include them in
meetings, e-mails and memos only if that is their preferred way
of keeping in touch. Otherwise, don’t.
Lesson 16
Take potential solutions to your manager, not problems.
Whenever there’s a problem, first develop a few potential
solutions and think through the advantages and disadvantages
of each. Then use your manager to advise you on whether
you’ve thought through everything correctly. It’s much more
efficient.
Lesson 17
Send out early warning signals of impending problems.
Don’t surprise your boss with a missed deadline or other glitch.
As soon as you become aware of emerging problems, let your
boss know. That way, you can work together to minimize the
impact of the problem, or avoid waste in related activities.
Lesson 18
Learn your boss’s strengths and develop ways
to offset any areas that are weaker.
Like you, your manager will be strong in some areas and weak
in others. If you can find ways to shore up your boss’s weak
areas, you’re laying the foundation for a strong work partnership.
Lesson 19
Give your manager feedback on how they’re doing.
If they’re smart, they’ll use your feedback to become better
managers. If not, at least they will know you’re a straight shooter
who can be relied on to tell it like it is.
Lesson 20
Always give your boss two chances to get
it right before going over their head.
Never try and end run around your boss to the next level of
management without warning them first. It’s the right thing to do,
and usually produces worthwhile results.
Lesson 21
If you find your current boss is an anchor, escape by letting
them know in advance you plan on making a move, and if
possible, by recruiting a replacement for your old position.
Don’t leave your old boss in the lurch -- even if they deserve it
for the way you were treated. It just isn’t in your best long-term
interests to generate enemies within the company. Instead, ease
the transition in every possible way. Give them plenty of advance
notice. Help in selecting someone to fill your old position. Stick
around long enough to help train the newcomer. And have some
logical career opportunities that you can articulate as the reason
you’re leaving to pursue something new.
Lesson 22
Never burn your bridges with old bosses.
Things change pretty rapidly at times. You never know when an
old boss might pop up in a position of influence in the future.
Therefore, be careful not to leave any boss on unfavorable
terms. It may come back to haunt you later.

3.
ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW TO BE
A GOOD BOSS I LEARNED AT MICROSOFT
Main Idea
In strong companies, the best employees have their pick of
places to work. To attract that type of employee to the
department or division you manage, you have to offer an
opportunity for them to excel.
Supporting Ideas
Lesson 1
Communicate objectives with simplicity and clarity.
If you do this effectively, team members will be able to make their
own decisions. In the best teams, the managers set the direction
and the team members make the day-to-day decisions.
Lesson 2
Set up regular feedback meetings with the team members.
Short, focused meetings on a weekly basis with each team
member keeps them moving rather than guessing. Be
accessible. Talk about progress, about priorities and any
problems that are emerging.
Lesson 3
Give your team a hill to climb.
A challenge can be great fun and highly motivational. Don’t let it
get out of hand, but look for innovative ways to compete against
other teams or departments.
Lesson 4
Give credit to your team members.
Build team loyalty by handing out informal awards or other
tokens of recognition. Maker certain every employee feels like a
valuable contributor to the team effort. There are oodles of
moments you can and should recognize good work.
Lesson 5
Always be the first to take the blame for mistakes.
If anything backfires, take the heat yourself. Your team members
will respond with greater loyalty, and your manager will respect
you for accepting ultimate responsibility for the team’s
performance.
Lesson 6
Always set an example. Act the way you expect them to act.
Teams subconsciously take their cue from attitudes and actions
of their managers. Make certain the corporate culture you’re
encouraging is appropriate, productive and sustainable.
Lesson 7
Whenever an opportunity to make a presentation to the
senior management comes along, have one of your team
members do it instead of you.
It will reflect well on you as a manager, since it will show that you
trust your team members, that they know their stuff and can do
a good job. And, the team will jump at the chance.
Lesson 8
Prepare a team of successors, not a designated heir.
Instead of grooming one person to take over the team, work
towards developing the entire team for future management
positions. You can then look at your next career move.
comfortable in the fact a base of competence exists from which
someone can be appointed to take over your old position.
All I Really Need to Know in Business - Page 5
Lesson 9
Losing your temper as a boss never helps any situation.
Stay calm. Find out why the mistake happened. Look for ways
to avoid it happening again and get on with the company’s
business.
Lesson 10
Stay flexible. New business opportunities can rise quickly.
Microsoft has everyone set 6-monthly objectives that are:
Specific
Measurable / Observable
Attainable
Results Based
Time specific
Despite that, keep in mind that something completely
unexpected may require a complete rethink any time. Be flexible.
Lesson 11
Never hesitate to roll up your sleeves and pitch in.
Don’t be afraid to do some of the grunt work alongside your team
members, particularly if a tight deadline is looming. It builds
morale and team spirit.
Lesson 12
Sometimes, the boss has to be a designated jerk.
When dealing with another division of the company, the boss
might have to yell and scream a bit, and act like a jerk. That way,
the rest of the team can come across as reasonable people, who
are being forced to action by a madman. This is sort of a variation
of the good cop / bad cop negotiating ploy.
Lesson 13
Manage your team one person at a time.
Most teams are made up of people with differing personalities,
work habits and management needs. A good manager adapts
the input provided for each team member to their individual
personalities rather than trying a one-size-fits-all approach.
Lesson 14
Be a mentor for your team members.
Constantly be alert to opportunities for team members to move
ahead in the company. Provide them with direction and expand
their personal skills. It’s good for them, good for the team and
good for the company. Other ideas:
Explain to team members how you reach decisions, and the
thought process you follow.
Send team members to meetings in your place.
Let team members work in other company divisions
sometimes so they get to know what happens over there.
Allocate time for team members to take continuing education
courses.
Arrange lunches with managers from other divisions and take
someone from your team with you.
Help them prepare for important presentations. They may
even do a dummy run with you first so you can critique them.
Give team members important assignments that will expose
them to the company’s senior management team.
Take an active and genuine interest in each team member’s
career prospects. Offer advice on how to move ahead with
the company.

Lesson 15
Strike an effective balance between being liked
and being respected by your team members.
Try and treat each team member even-handedly. You want them
to know you’re on their side, yet you also need to be able to point
out the truth when something needs improving. The ideal
balance is achieved when you can be friendly to each member
of the team, without them considering you to be a close friend.
That leaves you room to manage effectively.
Lesson 16
If you have to do year-end reviews of team members,
give them frequent feedback on how they’re doing all
through the year. That avoids end of year shocks.
Each team member should turn up for their annual review
already knowing how they’ll fare if you’ve done a good job as a
manager. By providing feedback throughout the year, team
members have the chance to take action to improve those areas
in which they are weak. It also provides information for them on
how to get things back on track if there have been any mistakes
or missteps. They can improve their rating while they still have
a chance to do something about it.
Lesson 17
Taking the time and effort to hire smart is well worthwhile.
The right new employee makes all the difference in the world.
Microsoft hires people based on raw talent rather than previous
experience. Some ideas on interviewing potential new hires:
Use a hill interview pattern - start with a few easy questions
to put them at ease, then move into the challenging part of the
interview and end with some easy questions so they feel
confident going into their next interview.
Interview more to get a feel for their problem solving abilities
than their raw knowledge. Can they think logically and
creatively, even about a subject they have no factual basis to
start from? That will tell a lot about their thought processes.
Where possible, standardize your questions. By asking the
same questions to a variety of candidates, you’ll quickly be
able to identify key personality and mental ability differences
between them.
Lesson 18
Keep the atmosphere fun.
Productive teams build camaraderie and morale by sharing
experiences together - both hard work and good fun stuff.
Loosen up as often as possible, and look for fun and creative
ways to make special events memorable for everyone that
attends. In most business areas, there are often two distinct
approaches that can be taken - somber or light-hearted. As often
as possible and as appropriately as required, choose the
light-hearted option more frequently. Your team will love it, and
at the very least it will show you don’t take yourself too seriously.
All I Really Need to Know in Business - Page 6
4.
ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
COMMUNICATION I LEARNED AT MICROSOFT
Main Idea
At times, yelling is the most appropriate way to get a message
across. Other times, whispering is far more effective. Success
in business communicating, is based on knowing which tool to
use in any given situation.
Supporting Ideas
Lesson 1
Develop your own communication style.
Match your personal communication style to your personality.
Trying to copy someone else’s style won’t work - you won’t be
as effective as the person that style belongs to.
Lesson 2
Try and read between the lines when asked a question.
Questions, in addition to being a request for information, can also
be a suggestion, a reminder, a scolding or a setup to let you strut
your knowledge. Always take a moment to reflect on the context
before you answer any question.
Lesson 3
Detailed information implies truthfulness.
When you’re making a point, the more details you provide the
greater the credibility. Details imply the truth, and numbers imply
facts. Get specific if you want to be believed.
Lesson 4
Know when it’s time to sell and when it’s time to present.
In selling mode, the message is feature oriented, delivered with
gusto and ended with a call to buy. The motivation is to create
action. In presenting mode, balanced analysis (including the
positives and the negatives) is called for. The motivation is to
inform. Knowing which mode to use in any situation is the key.
Lesson 5
Praise in public, chastise in private.
If you think someone did a great job, share it with lots of people,
especially with management. On the other hand, if someone
botches things up, work through it with them in private. It avoids
embarrassment and allows them to focus on real issues.
Lesson 6
When giving feedback, make it clear, specific and actionable.
Don’t be ambiguous. Make your suggestions crystal clear and
concise. Also, make suggestions on what actions should now be
taken to improve the idea.
Lesson 7
Use memos effectively.
The best reasons to send out memos are:
1. To keep everyone in a large project on the same page.
2. To save someone from duplicating the work you’ve done.
3. To let influential people know what you’re up to.
Lesson 8
Always ask: ‘‘Do I really need to go to this meeting?’’
and once there: ‘‘Do I need to stay any longer?’’
Often, you can achieve the same objective as a meeting more
efficiently by e-mail, phone or by sending a team member in your
place. And once you attend any meeting, don’t hesitate to excuse
yourself if it becomes apparent the meeting isn’t about what you
thought.

Lesson 9
Discuss the analysis at meetings, not the data.
If everyone has the chance to read the data and conclusions
before the meeting, you can use the time available to flag key
issues, discuss key questions and go into the strategic
implications. Look for ways to make meetings strategic
discussions rather than simply presenting vast amounts of facts
and raw data.
Lesson 10
Solve controversial issues before the meeting.
A public disagreement can derail any meeting. It’s far better to
sort any controversial issues out beforehand with the key people.
Never spring surprises in meetings if you want to actually
accomplish something.
Lesson 11
Run good meetings.
Start on time and finish on time.
Stick to the agenda or the topic under discussion.
Cut off the windbags and encourage the silent ones.
People can’t fall asleep or tune out of the meeting if it’s small.
Therefore, make meetings as small as possible.
Use whatever inducements are required: food, entertainment,
give-aways, etc.
Use the last five minutes to assignments and next steps.
Follow-up ruthlessly, consistently and thoroughly.
Lesson 12
When using e-mail, know your software package.
Numerous office embarrassments have been caused by people
sending personal e-mails to much larger distribution groups by
accident - simply because they didn’t know what the e-mail
package’s commands actually did. Even a simple misspelling of
someone’s e-mail address can lead to some real problems if
your e-mail gets read by the wrong person.
Lesson 13
E-mail has no social skills.
People tend to very terse and informal with their e-mail
communications. They also tend to not bother with good
manners or politeness in e-mail - the complete opposite of what
people are like in face-to-face meetings. Therefore, keep in mind
how your message will come across to the reader. Be less
demanding or abrupt and couch your e-mails as requests rather
than definitive commands. Concentrate on being more sociable
and a little less efficient.
Lesson 14
Don’t believe every e-mail you receive.
If you get an e-mail from the President of the United States, don’t
start telling all your friends about it just yet. E-mail pranks are
very popular. In fact, some of the best pranks don’t even involve
hacking - someone just sneaks into your office while you’re away
and sends out an e-mail from your computer in your name. Doing
that, they can fire people, give people the day off, give people a
pay rise and so on. Therefore, if an e-mail looks unbelievable, it
just might be.
All I Really Need to Know in Business - Page 7
5.
ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MANAGING
MY CAREER I LEARNED AT MICROSOFT
Main Idea
While being successful in your current position is important, don’t
forget to manage your overall career effectively as well. The
person who cares most about your career is yourself - therefore,
don’t leave it in anyone else’s hands.
Supporting Ideas
Lesson 1
Know yourself before seeking your next job.
What type of personality do you have? Do you like being at the
center of the action, or do you prefer stability? Are intellectual
challenges important? Before you decide whether to apply for a
new job, stop and check how it aligns with your personal
character traits. Make certain it’s a good fit.
Lesson 2
Sometimes the frog job can make you a prince.
Most people work towards being appointed to the most
high-visibility job available. However, that’s not always the best
place for you to gain the experience that may be required to
round off your personal package of skills, so you can move
upwards and onwards with the company. Look beneath the
surface. Sometimes, there may be a job which looks more like
a sideways move more than an upwards move, which will allow
you to prepare for an even greater level of future responsibility.
Don’t hesitate to take the job that’s disguised as a frog. With a
kiss of life, it might make you into a prince.
Lesson 3
Before you interview for a new job, think
about what you’d do if you were hired.
Do some research and have some viable ideas on how you
would approach the job if hired. Be prepared with some ideas on
how your specialist skills could be applied successfully in the
new position to create added value for the company. Even if it’s
an informal situation, take some time to prepare beforehand. It
will allow you to make a strong first impression.
Lesson 4
Bring ammunition to your job interview.
Part of managing your career effectively is to always be
gathering useful material you can use in your next job interview.
Anything positive is worthwhile. Ideally, you want to have
something compelling, along the lines of:
An excellent performance review from your previous boss.
A strong resume with some solid achievements.
Actual examples of the work you’ve completed in the past.
And don’t forget your network of business associates. If
appropriate, have your old boss call someone who’s thinking of
hiring you and put in a good word. Or provide the interviewer with
a list of people in the company who are familiar with the quality
of your work, and who the interviewer can call for further
information.
There are all sorts of variations on a theme available in this area,
but the key objective is simply to give solid reasons why you
should be hired.

Lesson 5
Keep a one-page resume up to date at all times.
It makes good sense to update your resume every six months
or so with your latest work achievements. Keep a 1-page version
on file, so if you hear of an interesting job opening, you can
respond immediately. That 1-page version can give people a
quick snapshot of your background, and can be supplemented
later with whatever materials are appropriate.
Lesson 6
In preparing for an interview, decide on your three strongest
attributes and how to articulate these points.
While you may have little control over what is discussed in a job
interview, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prepare beforehand.
Decide which three specific strengths or experiences you have
would apply to the responsibilities of the job you’re going after.
Then give some thought to how you would express yourself in
those areas if the chance arises. You can then try and create the
opportunity to discuss those points in your interview, if given a
chance.
Lesson 7
Prepare for the standard questions.
Prepare concise and compelling answers to the questions that
come up at virtually every job interview ever given:
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Give an example of your leadership skills.
What are you like at solving business problems in creative
and original ways?
How does your past experience relate to the requirements of
the job you’ve applied for?
Give an example of a time you’ve overcome the odds.
What do you think is a well marketed product, and why?
Give an example of a tough business problem you’ve solved.
Also, be prepared for a creative style question, which might seem
strange at first. For this type of problem, the interviewer will be
more interested in the deductive reasoning you bring to bear
more than in the conclusion you ultimately reach.
Lesson 8
A career is a long time.
Therefore, don’t worry if you miss out on any one job or
promotion. It will all balance out in the long run, over the length
of our career, as long as you keep doing your best on whatever
your current assignment is. You don’t always have to be on the
fast track - sometimes a change of pace or scenery can be totally
invigorating and refreshing.
Lesson 9
Develop your own personal board of directors.
Find a group of three or four people senior to you in the company
who can provide honest feedback on how you’re doing and what
your next career move should be. Make them your informal
board of directors. They’ll provide you with exceptionally
valuable street smarts and career advice.
All I Really Need to Know in Business - Page 8
Lesson 10
Try a 360-degree review.
prepare a job performance review that can be submitted
anonymously, and give them not only to your boss but also to
your peers and the people who work for you. You may find
insights from these different perspectives that will enable you o
target important areas for improvement.
Lesson 11
Always think two jobs ahead.
Instead of focusing just on the job opportunity that’s available to
you, give some thought to where that job will take you in the
future when you want to move on from that job. Will you be
prepared with the skills and experience needed to move on to
something challenging, or will you be sidetracked? Look ahead
a little and anticipate.
Lesson 12
Keep things in perspective.
Mistakes happen, but they’re not the end of the world. Give your
career a healthy perspective. Realize that when things don’t pan
out as anticipated, you can just pick yourself up and keep moving
forward. Great careers can still be forged in the face of a few
mistakes along the way.
Lesson 13
Ultimately, you want to compete against others in the
marketplace, not against your same company.
Sometimes, inter-department rivalries can get pretty intense.
They can also be counter-productive if left to get out of hand.
Keep in mind you’re all on the same team. Have a little fun with
inter-office competition, but work together to win customers in
the marketplace.
Lesson 14
Ten Ways to Balance Work and Life
1. Have one midweek night per week you take out your
significant other.
2. Meet a friend at the gym. There’s less chance you’ll skip a
workout if you know someone is waiting there o meet you.
3. Sign up to help a charity event or serve on a board.
4. Take a night class in something totally unrelated to your
work, but that you feel passionate about.
5. Go home at six, have a meal with your family, put the kids to
bed and then answer your e-mail or do some work task.
6. Buy season tickets to the symphony or theater. You’ll feel
guilty if you miss a performance after spending that much.
7. Pick two nights each week you’ll leave at 6:00 p.m.. Stay as
late as you like on other nights.
8. Never schedule a meeting before 8 am, after 5 p.m. or on
weekends.
9. Plan lots of weekend trips with your family. You may even
hire someone to do the chores you’ll be skipping.
10. ‘‘People who work at Microsoft can only think of nine ways.
(Just kidding).’’
- Julia Bick