Text 15426, 78 rader
Skriven 2007-01-14 20:34:30 av mike (1:379/45)
Ärende: Fear and not so Loathing at CES
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From: mike <mike@barkto.com>


http://ricksegal.typepad.com/pmv/2007/01/fear_and_not_so.html

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All throughout Microsoft, there are hundreds if not thousands of really smart
people who work really hard trying to make a difference and to the right thing
by Microsoft customers, partners, and developers.  And there are lots of
examples of RSS feeds, forums, webcasts, etc, where I believe I can convince
anyone that the company has made great strides in many areas.

That's why being witness to the old snot nosed arrogance coming from those that
should know better is so painful.

Consider this true story which happened yesterday on the CES show floor:

A Microsoft guy walks into a booth and says "So, what do you do?"  The friendly
people in the booth explain the technology, customer base, happy people, cool
stuff, etc.  All normal, all happy happy.

Microsoft Guy: "Oh. Well, I've been in our research department and they do what
you do, so, well, bad for you."

The booth CEO says, in effect, I don't think so, we have 9 patents, millions of
users, and do this that nobody that we know of does.

Microsoft Guy: "Well, research has stuff that we can use and it probably is
good enough."

A former Microsoft guy steps in (me) and says so, how long have you been with
the company?  18 months says Microsoft guy.

Amazing but it gets better.  That evening this CEO is sitting with the CEO's of
5 other companies and for two hours they rail on Microsoft led off by a the
story I just told you. Two solid hours of a self-inflicted wound by an 18 month
MBA wonder kid.

The obvious lesson: Don't crap on anything when you have stuff others can crap
on.  Never say anything but, great people, they work hard, when asked about any
other company in your space. If you are in a booth and get a briefing you
smile, say thank you for you time, very interesting, and leave   Yup, all of
this is obvious 101 stuff and I'm sure that you
tell all of your employees be nice out there, praise in public, laugh in
private. Somebody didn't get the MSFT folks the memo.

Way back during the heyday of the 90s, Brad Chase used to give the
pre-COMDEX/pre-CES briefings about never, ever doing anything other than be
nice when you walk the floor, keep the swagger at home, the arrogance in your
pocket.  The MSFT HR department needs to set up the remedial be nice classes
and soon.

The not so obvious observation: The collective group of CEOs didn't care. They
weren't at all intimidated. They vowed NOT to work with Microsoft, to send
email about these goof balls to higher ups in Microsoft no longer fearing or
caring about the big bad machine from Microsoft.  One claimed she had
instructed his staff not to talk with Microsoft people and specifically say,
sorry, I can't speak with people from Microsoft, you'll have to come back
another time.

I'm not suggesting for a minute that any of this will have an impact on people
buying an Xbox and I'm sure the 8 people who bought a Zune won't return them.

What I am saying is that Microsoft's big challenge and yours as well, is to
make sure your prevent one (or ten) arrogant people from destroying the hard
work of 1000s of others.
===

Let's see, where has that attitude gotten Microsoft?
http://www.groklaw.net/articlebasic.php?story=20041228040645419




  /m

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