I admit it.  I just recently started reading Joshua Allen's blog.  I like a lot of the things he has to say and I like the way he puts them.  It's not so much that he's an eloquent writer as it is just that he seems good at getting the point across.  For example, Microsoft had a bunch of bad press a few weeks ago with Mini-Microsoft's Business Week interview, Business Week's "Troubling Exits" article and Forbes' "Microsoft's Midlife Crisis" article.  Here is an excerpt of Joshua's response:

He hits the nail on the head when he states "Microsoft has always had a very open and self-critical culture" and it highlights another reason I like working here so much. 

 

 

I feel a sense of responsibility to explore all of the possibilities and options when we're working on a project or solution.  So if my manager or someone else pigeon-holes on one facet of the problem I will always speak up and point out things we might be missing or better ways of accomplishing our task [assuming I see them].  There will always be people who don't feel comfortable enough to do this for one reason or another, but I sincerely feel that it's my responsibility and I've been told by my management and co-workers that they appreciate it (most of the time).

 

Now, I will admit that there is a flip side to this and that is the fact that sometimes differing opinions/options are not always considered or acted upon.  I'm not going to lie and say that we all sit around and sing kum-by-yah after a meeting where one person wants a project to go a certain direction and someone else points out flaws in their solution.  Discussions can get heated, feelings can get hurt and people disagree...those are all parts of life.  Often a person will present a solution with the feeling that they've thought of every possible point-of-failure and they just don't see [or want to see] how it could fail when you present that perspective to them.  Yes, there are processes and solutions that I have had to implement where I was quite vocal about my disagreement, but that's my point...I was able to express my disagreement and not fear for my job.

~tod

 

tags: Microsoft