Summary: The Microsoft Way E-Book

BusinessNews Publishing

• Herausgeber: Business Book Summaries
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 36

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

The must-read summary of Randall E. Stross' book: "The Microsoft Way: The Real Story of How the Company Outsmarts Its Competition".

This complete summary of the ideas from Randall E. Stross' book "The Microsoft Way" shows that, for one reason or another, most people seem to assume Microsoft’s success has been the result of predatory marketing. In his book, the author reveals that the success of Microsoft is actually the direct result of three factors: the company's ability to hire and retain intelligent employees, the application of bright ideas to developing new software products and an eagerness to use market feedback intelligently to improve successive product generations. This summary demonstrates how each of these factors is beneficial and how they all come together to form the successful, world-class company that is Microsoft.

Added-value of this summary:
• Save time
• Understand key concepts
• Expand your knowledge

To learn more, read "The Microsoft Way" and discover the secrets behind the success of this great company.

Leseprobe

Book Presentation The Microsoft Way by Randall E. Stross

Book Abstract

Important Note About This Ebook

Summary of The Microsoft Way (Randall E. Stross)

Part 1: Microsoft Basic Elements of Success

Part 2: Microsoft and the Home Market

Part 3: Microsoft and the Information Superhighway

Part 4: Microsoft as a Potential Monopoly

Part 5: The Microsoft Legacy

Book Presentation The Microsoft Way by Randall E. Stross

Book Abstract

MAIN IDEA

For one reason or another, most people seem to assume Microsoft’s success has been the result of predatory marketing.

In reality, the success of Microsoft is the direct result of three factors:

The company’s ability to hire and retain intelligent employees.The application of bright ideas to developing new software products.An eagerness to use market feedback intelligently in improving successive generations of products.

All of these factors are useful and beneficial, but what really ties everything together at Microsoft is the company’s ability to learn from and then adapt to changing market conditions. In effect, the company has reinvented itself several times over as the market it seeks to address has moved. The recent makeover and change of emphasis to bring an Internet awareness to its products in recent times has been an illustrative demonstration of Microsoft’s adaptiveness as an organization.

And it is that adaptiveness, combined with the effective harnessing of intelligent thought and reasoning, that will position Microsoft to move forward into the uncharted future with its usual trademark aggressiveness and confidence. Rather than trying to find ways to restrain the Microsoft juggernaut, business would be much better served if it concentrated on developing new and better ways to emulate what Microsoft does right.

Important Note About This Ebook

This is a summary and not a critique or a review of the book. It does not offer judgment or opinion on the content of the book. This summary may not be organized chapter-wise but is an overview of the main ideas, viewpoints and arguments from the book as a whole. This means that the organization of this summary is not a representation of the book.

Summary of The Microsoft Way (Randall E. Stross)

Part 1: Microsoft Basic Elements of Success

Main Idea

The three key business practices that have made Microsoft one of the most successful companies of its era are:

A conscious and deliberate effort to create a business environment in which employees will be as productive as possible.A deliberate effort to hire and harness the creative work of smart people.An adaptive approach to business in which the company is willing to learn from its mistakes and move forward to meet the demands of an evolving marketplace.

Supporting Ideas

Practice #1 – Microsoft’s Business Environment

Many people assume Microsoft’s office environment is deliberately designed to encourage employees to maximize their time at work. The truth is far less colorful. In the early 1980s, Microsoft outgrew its offices, and decided to build its own. Since land was limited in Bellvue (a suburb east of Seattle), a block of undeveloped land was purchased in Redmond (east of Bellvue).

Since most of Microsoft’s work was mental, a decision was made to build offices which would suit that function – single person offices with pleasant natural lighting and landscaping. To encourage people to mix, cafeterias serving food at subsidized prices (with free drinks being available) were provided.

In the end, Microsoft’s offices came to resemble a university not as a result of any conscious decision to clone a university but simply because that type of environment is most conducive to intense mental activity.

Practice #2 – Hiring and Motivating Smart People

Microsoft deliberately seeks out and hires the smartest people in the computer industry. The company prizes intelligence enthusiastically and whole-heartedly. In fact, Microsoft favors employees who, in addition to being smart, are pragmatic, articulate and able to operate under pressure.

This is particularly disturbing to people who believe that “Success is a matter of will power”, which is the prevailing culture of the United States. By stating categorically success as a programmer is a matter of raw brain power and ability to solve problems, Microsoft has generated appreciable negative publicity.

Microsoft also knows the best programmers like to work alongside other world-class programmers. The company is very proactive in seeking out intellectual talent, whether they are currently working for competitors or in entirely different business fields.

Practice #3 – An Adaptive Approach To Business