All I Really Need to Know in Business I Learned at Microsoft [Paperback]

Julie Bick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1998

In this national bestseller -- praised by critics and business leaders -- veteran Microsoft manager Julie Bick takes you behind the scenes at one of the world's most successful companies to share "nuggets of information for current and aspiring managers in any industry" (USA Today).

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Bick, a past senior product manager for Microsoft, has written a primer on business. She covers how to do a job well, run the company, be a good boss, communicate effectively, and manage a career. Her book is a collection of examples and anecdotes, with each chapter having several sections of six to ten lessons apiece. It is doubtful whether a successful manager would gain new insights from this book, but the neophyte or wannabe may wish to read it. Microsoft management does not appear to be committed to the "time away from work to have a life" view recommended by the author, as evidenced by all the jokes and comments about working before 8:00 a.m., many evenings a week, and late into the night. On only one page is there mention of the manager as a parent. Interestingly, the author is now a consultant for Microsoft, with a newborn child. An optional purchase for public libraries.?Peggy D. Odom, Texas Lib. Assn., Waco
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Dr. Stephen R. Covey Author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People "I was both surprised and pleased that such a small, humorous handbook could provide such substantial and intuitive lessons for building a more synergistic business culture -- and what an amazing quilt of insights about one of the greatest business organizations ever!" -- Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Gallery (June 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671009141
• ISBN-13: 978-0671009144
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #654,031 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A quick read with some interesting points., August 30, 2000

By 

Jim Carson "http://www.jimcarson.com" (Bellevue, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All I Really Need to Know in Business I Learned at Microsoft (Paperback)

Though not as trendy as Genghis Khan's (or insert historical leader name here) management book, "All I really need to know..." is a pretty quick read with several interesting anecdotes and points to take away.

Three things that I believe would be directly applicable to any company:

1. Have a direction and be able to articulate it. Everyone within the organization should be able to do the "elevator pitch." This basically means know what you're doing, why it's important, who else is doing it, and why you are (or will be) better at it than they are.

2. Continuously improve. As the joke goes, "they usually get it right by version 3.0." However, you can't deny that Microsoft has excelled at is refinement of its products based on input from customers, developers, and even other vendors. The result is the products get better.

3. Keep everyone challenged. A fault many employers have is they tend to corral an employee good at doing "X" into that role "forever." Assuming your employee had no further ambitions, that's fine. However, you probably wouldn't want an unambitious employee in a high-power organization, you'll have to keep them interested. The answer: move them around to develop their skills and keep them engaged.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars It ain't what it seems., December 26, 2000

By 

"hking8" (Redmond, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All I Really Need to Know in Business I Learned at Microsoft (Paperback)

Sorry folks but this book is junk. Between the "open the door before you go through it" type platitudes and sorely thin anecdotes, there's little substance here. Many of the anecdotes are so out of context it hurts.

I've worked in R&D at Microsoft for a long time, and I just can't find much value in this book. It's like it was sort of made up of things written on sticky notes. I just don't see that the author achieved much at Microsoft, or was more than a ground level marketing person. Big deal.

Note to all budding organizational behavior junkies: this book does contain many clues about the strengths and weaknesses of the company. Read it at a meta-level (ie "why would someone write about this situation in this way?) for lots of interesting take-aways.

Looking for insight into Microsoft? Read Fred Moody's "I sing the body electronic." I know, title sounds dumb but it's a very first hand account of a disastrous product development effort. Even if you don't like the author, there's a real product situation described in enough depth, and with enough direct quotes to know what's going on.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This is a quick and fun book to read., November 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: All I Really Need to Know in Business I Learned at Microsoft (Paperback)

I enjoyed reading this book and learned a great deal about the business environment at Microsoft. I learned a little about how to manage my own career and how to apply Microsoft's philosophy to many situations in the business world. I wanted to send my resume to Microsoft after I finished the book. It gives a positive view of the company and is enjoyable and fun to read.