Why Do I Still Work Here? Part 1

I did an interview with Management Today earlier this week aboutintrapreneurship at Microsoft and it got me thinking. I think I was asked to be interviewed partly due to the Blue Monster thing but also because I tend to get involved in off piste stuff. I have ideas and like to pursue them. Unlike many organisations, Microsoft lets me. In fact I’d say we actively encourage it.

It’s not the only reason I’m still here but it’s a big one – Microsoft loves ideas IF you can find the way to channel them. Lots and lots of people at Microsoft I talk to have great ideas, world changing ideas even. Many of them never see the light of day though. One of the things I learnt in my 10+ years here is if you really, really believe in something then get on with it. Send it up the chain. If it doesn’t get a response, keep sending it up until you get a response. If it’s something you can go do, go do it. Asking for forgiveness is easier than asking for permission :) This isn’t carte blanche to pursue every mad idea of course but people are often surprised how open the upper echelons are to ideas around here.

So fellow Sofites……your ideas count. You know who you are. Stop procrastinating and bring your idea to life. That’s what I was told early on by a senior executive who also said this

Never assume someone else is working on the problem/idea. Ever.

 

If your first idea dies on the mountainside of corporate email, don’t despair and keep being full of ideas. The world, and Microsoft needs ideas people.

(just for the record, I hate the word intrapreneurship)

Comments

• Anonymous
  August 08, 2008
  Shame that there is no real incubation scheme at Microsoft and as such many softies are forced to leave to set up their start up in order to keep ownership.

• Anonymous
  August 08, 2008
  First time I've seen that Hugh cartoon, and can really relate to it, for all the wrong reasons!!! Rich

• Anonymous
  August 08, 2008
  "...Microsoft needs ideas people..." does it now... ;-)

• Anonymous
  August 08, 2008
  you know what I'm saying Fabretti ;)

• Anonymous
  August 08, 2008
  smythe - MSR and Live Labs in particular do pretty good incubation. you should check out the interview with Blaise at http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=zXcZBHeKDlI to see what he thinks. Equally plenty of people do leave Microsoft to do their own thing....and plenty come back. Marc McDonald being a brilliant example.

• Anonymous
  August 08, 2008
  that's sort of my point Rich - not many companies encourage ideas from across the company in the way MSFT does. You should work here some day :)

• Anonymous
  August 10, 2008
  Do you have a Darlington office? ;-) Rich