Fellow colleague Mel Carson and I holding our plaques

Yesterday, I celebrated my 5 years at Microsoft.  The tradition is to bring in a pound of candy for each year served, so I’ve already burdened my team with consuming 5 pounds of M&Ms to start their week.  Since I can’t share the love with everyone, I thought I’d share 5 sweet lessons in lieu of candy.

Walk the Talk You Preach

Say what you mean and mean what you say.  No one appreciates someone on a high horse talking about the great things they have and/or will achieve.  It’s important to network and spread the good news about the project you’re working on, but remember to actually deliver on it.  Trust me, at least one of your 90,000 colleagues will notice.

Feedback is a Gift

Growing up we’ve all been conditioned to be praised for good work.  Conversely, constructive criticism is an underrated opportunity to grow and improve on things you may already know.  Never underestimate the power of feedback.  If you’re good at something, there’s room to become great.

You Own Your Career (not your manager)

Many people look to their manager to be their advocates and help shine light for commendable work and grant promotions when merited.  What most of us forget to realize is that promotions may be earned, but our career is something we own ourselves.  Managers are not responsible for guiding you into your next advancement.  Only you know what is best for you, and you are accountable to drive towards your future.

Give the Benefit of Doubt

I am privileged to work with some pretty intelligent people at Microsoft.  It’s natural to want to put as many brains together to benefit from everyone’s talents.  Unfortunately, when there are too many cooks in the kitchen, it’s easy to overlook ideas and opinions that may be valuable.  Never forget to give people the benefit of doubt, because you never know when there is a low hanging fruit with good intentions waiting to help you succeed.

Avoid Complacency

I was talking to a friend other day about getting back into shape.  Usually, it’s easy to start a training routine when you’re working towards an event, like a trip to Hawaii (helloooo bikini weather!).  Once you’ve realized your goal, it’s even easier to fall back to what is comfortable.  This mantra can be certainly applied in the workplace.

You are your biggest competition.  Take a small nibble of satisfaction from your achievements, and keep moving forward, because change is the only constant.