5 Year Reflection: 5 Lessons in 5 Minutes

Monday, January 16th marks 5 years since I "hit refresh" and joined Microsoft. I've probably grown more professionally in these five years than any other time during my career. The milestone provides the perfect opportunity to look back on who I was before, what I've learned, and how I've grown.?Here are my Top 5 Lessons in less than 5 minutes:

1. Challenge the status quo:?I joined Microsoft to be part of a new sales team focused on High Potential Strategic Accounts for our growing Biz Apps Business Unit.?Our mission was to think big and "do things that have never been done before" (thank you, Juliane Carlson and Scott Whitten for instilling that in me Day 1).?While my job has changed, that mindset has not.?Yes, Microsoft is a big company, but I have been fortunate to continue my Microsoft career in various incubation sales teams focused on innovating complex sales pursuits, challenging older sales processes and breaking down barriers across business units to provide a simpler experience for our customers.?To be part of a "start-up like" team within Microsoft has allowed me the flexibility to be creative and the courage to dream big and continue to ask "why" coupled with alternative solutions. If you can see the path to another way, have the courage to share that, even in a large company, but you have to get out of your comfort zone to make an impact.
2. Develop a growth mindset:?This is the Microsoft way.?Every idea isn't a going to be a good one, but having an organization that encourages you to see other perspectives, invest in training outside of your specific domain and take calculated risks without criticism has created an environment for me to really thrive.?It has allowed me to be bolder, broaden my areas of expertise, stay curious, consider many perspectives and continue to learn from amazing people and leverage their work.
3. Be authentic:?This may seem like overused advice but having professionally grown up in Technology -- what used to be a male dominated industry -- with a Business Management and Economics degree in a world of Computer Science experts, I can assure you there were many times that I put on armor and tried to be someone I wasn't.?It was exhausting and didn't forge trusted relationships because I was too busy worrying about what others were thinking.?Microsoft has focused on embracing authenticity and has offered many trainings and sessions which acknowledge this struggle and provided me tactics to remove the armor.?It's a refreshing experience which allows me to bring my true self to work every day.
4. Clear is kind: Perhaps the best advice I've received over the past 5 years.?Yes, there are going to be challenging conversations.?Yes, there are going to be times where you don't have the answers.?And yes, there will be times when you need to provide tough feedback.?Be direct, concise and honest.?It saves time and has provided a far better outcome for all involved than the alternative.
5. Cherish time spent face-to-face: I had to have at least one nod to the pandemic as it occupied much of my 5-year Microsoft career.??I never thought I would miss the days of meetings and travel, but I do.?The joys of a sales career is in the interactions you have with your extended teams and your customers-- which for me was frequently done in person being in the NY Metro area.?Microsoft Teams is a fantastic platform, but nothing replaces that time in person.?If you are reading this and you've gotten this far, it's probably a good chance that we worked together and at one time met face-to-face even once or twice.?I look forward to those in person connections as the world recovers from both the pandemic and the current economic challenges.?In the meantime, revel in the energy when you do get to be in the same room. Here's to another 5 great years of learning ahead!