Where to start this one...?
OK. Have you ever read Mini-Microsoft's blog? We all know that Robert Scoble (so sorry about your mother, Robert; we missed you at Syndicate) has been writing a wonderfully human blog about being an "Evangelist" at Microsoft for several years. He's practically invented the voice of the credible corporate blogger. He and Shel Israel chronicled much of his work (and other things) in their book, Naked Conversations.
While Scoble's been doing his work, Mini's been busy with his. Mini is an anonymous Microsoftie who scathingly criticizes much of what he sees in the Redmond giant's culture.
Some of his deepest purple wrath has been reserved for Microsoft's normal-curve-driven performance management process.
HR professionals, pay attention here, 'cause this is where you get to learn something.
Somebody at Microsoft listened. I'm not saying the company's decision to abandon the hideous forced-ranking evaluation system is due to Mini-Microsoft. Scoble is.
Oh, and thanks Mini! These changes are due in no small part to you. Even if you don't get official props in the press releases.
Can one person change a huge company? Mini did. And we don't even know his name.
But, don't miss the work that Steve Ballmer, the leadership team, and Lisa Brummel did here either. Wonderful. Cheers. Now, let's get back to work figuring out how to make our customers lives better.
Lisa announced MyMicrosoft, a series of initiatives that'll make Microsoft a much better place to work.
There's a lot more to what she announced than I'm talking about here, but as I read over the list I'm just astounded.
These are not small little tweaks. They are wholesale changes to how Microsoft treats its employees.
So, an anonymous blogger, expressing ideas that must have resonated deeply with a significant portion of Microsoft's workforce, plays a major role in helping his company adopt practices that will make it a better company. More competitive. More focused. More employee-respectful. HR pros: What on earth is keeping you from opening up this kind of dialogue within your company?
Update: After writing that post on Saturday but not posting it until Monday, I saw this post from Mini-Microsoft, putting even more energy into the dialogue.
Tags: Robert Scoble Mini-Microsoft HR
Comments