Reflecting on 15 years at Microsoft

Just over 15 years ago I joined Microsoft full of excitement, nerves and pride. I could not believe that I had been hired at one of the world’s most successful companies. Was I smart enough? Could I hack it??I have learned so much in this time and feel so grateful for the many leaders, mentors and coworkers I have had the pleasure of working with and learning from. I have been reflecting recently on what I’ve learned and I thought I would share some thoughts.

My key learnings

1.??????Be your authentic self. When I first joined Microsoft, I struggled with a feeling that I did not quite fit in and that I needed to be something different to mold myself to the culture. I was an introvert in what felt like an extremely extroverted culture. I struggled with whether I should fake it to fit in with the team but ultimately opted to be myself. I worked hard, I followed my intuition, and I delivered results. I am happy to say that the Microsoft culture has evolved considerably over the last 15 years. I now feel like Microsoft is more inclusive and welcoming of diversity and of everyone bringing their true authentic selves to work.

2.??????Show you care and make time to invest in others. Over the last 6 years since I have been part of the SMC & Digital Sales team, I have had the opportunity to connect and build relationships with sellers, managers, operations leads, program managers and marketers around the world. My most rewarding experiences have been when I have had the opportunity to travel to our sales centers and meet our team face to face in roundtables, coffee chats, and mentor sessions. I take in all of the feedback I hear and I make it my personal mission to find ways to advocate for our team every day. When someone on our team asks me for a 1:1 mentor session, I always say yes, and I always come away from these interactions having learned something. Last week I had the pleasure of meeting with our team in India for the first time. I came back from this trip inspired by the ambition of the local team and with a renewed sense of passion for supporting the global team I serve.

3.??????Know when it is time to take on your next opportunity. When I interviewed at Microsoft one of my interviewers told me that one of the best things about Microsoft was that you could have rich career and opportunity to move across many disciplines without leaving the company. In my 15 years I have had 5 different roles. I have had the opportunity to work in the US subsidiary on the ISV Strategy team, the global partner team leading cloud programs and partner profitability strategy and in the Small, Medium and Corporate sales team as both a programs and strategy lead focused on building our Digital Sales acquisition team and in my current role as Chief of Staff.

I took a great course called Women Rising last spring when I was starting to contemplate making a job change. The course got me thinking about my level of drive and motivation. I had been doing my job for over 5 years and I had learned so much, had the opportunity to play a role in building a global sales team of over 1000 people, and last but not least led a high performing team of amazing, talented individuals. I loved my job and my team. ?I recognized however that I was not quite as sharp as I had been 6 months prior and I realized that I could do the job just fine, but I was no longer as challenged as I had been a year prior.?One thing I know about myself is that I do my best work when I am challenged. ?I made the leap and went for a role that I figured would make me uncomfortable and back into the learning zone where I am challenged and do my best work. I’m now 6 months into this role and I have a renewed energy and am learning every day.

4.??????Challenge yourself to do hard things. At one point in my career a Corporate Vice President (CVP) asked me to take on a new role leading the partner profitability strategy for Microsoft. He indicated that he wanted me to conduct research, present at conferences, build a social presence and share content through social channels. Sounds easy right? I was panicked. Remember when I said I was an introvert? I was the student in elementary school who was afraid to read out loud in class and petrified of oral presentations throughout high school, college and into my professional career. That said, if a CVP gives you an opportunity like this you take it! So, I prepared. I got a coach to help me prepare for presentations. I built compelling content. I gathered stories and conducted research with reputable companies like IDC and Forrester. I practiced. I memorized. I asked for feedback. Then I conquered my fear and went on to deliver presentations to thousands of people. The biggest surprise of all is that I loved it!

5.??????Live each day with a growth mindset. Several years ago, Satya Nadella began to infuse the concept of growth mindset into Microsoft, and I can honestly say that since then, it is something I think about each day. When something goes wrong, I am quick to reflect on what I could have done better or how I could have done things in a different way. I have always been hard on myself. Over time I've learned that the best I can do is to show up with an open mind, an open heart and to always have a perspective that I can do better.

In closing I am incredibly grateful for the amazing group of people I have had the pleasure of working with and learning from in my 15 years at Microsoft. Here is a picture of just a few of the amazing people that I have the opportunity to work with at Microsoft. Today we gathered for a holiday event that was filled with joy and camaraderie and it reminded me of why I am so grateful to work at Microsoft.