Microsoft, Redundancies and Mojo

Yesterday was the start of Build, Microsoft's most important conference since... ...the last most important conference. But it is and was important.

During the day. Jon Honeyball said this:







I almost immediate RT'd with the comment







But it's more than the obvious.

It's not that long ago that Microsoft made some pretty heavy duty redundancies. I can still remember the shock and surprise of names like Steve Riley and Eileen Brown being identified as "at risk" and then receiving their redundancy notice. It felt like a mistake. In some respects it was.

But when you have been made redundant (as Mrs B and I have been about 9 times if I've counted them correctly!) then you can look back at the company you have just left with a number of views. It may take some time before the sadness, regret and anger wear off; but when they do you'll probably end up seeing why the company did it and either consider them complete idiots for choosing you, or understanding why you were the candidate chosen.

If the company is fundamentally a decent one, and has operated through the process reasonably (and legally) then hopefully you will understand and accept. This will mean you probably have residual good feelings towards your former employer and good wishes for your former colleagues.

Many have commented on the flat profile of Microsoft since Ballmer took over the helm. For Microsoft to get it's mojo back, it means that the company can once again be on an upward curve. It means that your former colleagues have a better chance of not experiencing your fate.

But it also means that, despite everything, your redundancy was not in vain. Collective good has come from the process - it wasn't just a crappy decision made to lever you out and exact some pointless revenge for your face not fitting, or a perceived misdemeanour.

Thinking back to the companies that made me redundant, most have gone bust a year or two later. I just felt lucky enough to get out whist the going was good, but for those companies that made good decisions and recovered and thrived - I'm glad for them. If the Microsoft mojo has recovered from the trauma of restructuring, grows from Build and becomes a colossus again, bestriding the industry with unambiguously leading desktop and tablet systems (the servers speak for themselves already) along with continuing and improving good practices; then I, for one, will be cheering from the sidelines.