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Spontaneous combustion of rancid management
01 November 09 07:00 AM | ericbrec | 3 Comments   
What's good for you isn't always good for your group. Obvious, right? You can call it local versus global optimization. You can get geek philosophical about it and say, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few…or the one." Or you can simply Read More...
Hire's remorse
01 October 09 07:00 AM | ericbrec | 0 Comments   
Looking for that perfect candidate to fill a role? Good, that means you'll never steal a great candidate away from me. I love it when industrial-strength stupidity renders my competition comatose. You can't hire the perfect candidate, but please keep Read More...
I hardly recognize you
01 June 09 07:00 AM | ericbrec | 6 Comments   
The annual engineering awards are being given out this week at the Microsoft Engineering Forum. Annual reviews will soon follow. These are great opportunities to recognize impactful work. It's too bad most managers are tragically ignorant of how to recognize Read More...
I'm listening
01 March 09 07:00 AM | ericbrec | 5 Comments   
It's Midyear Career Discussion time at Microsoft. Perhaps you just finished, but more than likely you're still trying to squeeze yours in. How'd it go? How will it go? For you? For your manager? Well, that depends. It depends a bit on your prior performance Read More...
Opportunity in a gorilla suit
01 July 08 07:00 AM | ericbrec | 4 Comments   
It's annual review time at Microsoft. We differentiate pay between high, average, and low performers in the same roles. Thus, it's time to calibrate those who've made the most of their opportunities in the past year with those in the mainstream of solid Read More...
Things have got to change: Change management
01 March 08 10:13 AM | ericbrec | 5 Comments   
It's the political season in the United States, making "change" a happy word around here. Politicians fight over who better represents change. They proclaim themselves to be agents of change. Hysterical admirers jump up and down waving "Change" signs. Read More...
Lead, follow, or get out of the way
01 December 07 08:24 AM | ericbrec | 2 Comments   
We're closing in on midyear career discussions again. It's time to place your hopes and humility in the hands of your hierarchy. I still haven't recovered from the amputation of our midyear ratings, which allowed managers to send messages and employees Read More...
Get a job: Finding new roles
01 September 07 07:18 AM | ericbrec | 1 Comments   
It's the end of review season: time to reflect on your career and current situation. Some people have a career plan, know where they're at, and already have their next move lined up. I call these people "wise, successful, and yet, disturbing." Perhaps Read More...
September 1, 2005: “Go with the flow—Retention and turnover”
01 September 05 12:45 AM | ericbrec | 1 Comments   
I. M. Wright's "Hard Code" book excerpt Review season is here. As entertaining as that can be for managers and employees alike, it’s just a primer for what follows: musical product groups. The music starts when review numbers are released. A whole bunch Read More...
August 1, 2005: “Controlling your boss for fun and profit”
01 August 05 12:40 AM | ericbrec | 4 Comments   
I. M. Wright's "Hard Code" book excerpt There’s a great gesture you can do to show just how little you care about someone who is wallowing in self-pity. You lightly rub the tips of your thumb and forefinger together saying, “This is the world’s smallest Read More...
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