Excitement was the feeling in November 2015 when I started at Microsoft, and 5 years later, happy to report that excitement is the same feeling I have about Microsoft!

Amidst all that is going on this year, I wanted to share some reflections and thoughts on my #MicrosoftLife journey.

1. It is all about the people. My journey started with meeting impressive people who have remained friends and work colleagues to this day. As time goes on, I realize that work is more about the people and less about the day to day work.
   
   
2. Imposter syndrome is ok if you use it as fuel to grow. I recall feeling nervous during my earlier years. Over time, the feeling has subsided significantly but there are still days when I feel like a total imposter. Now, I note that “imposter” feeling as an indicator that I am in a new space and use it as fuel to grow.
   
   
3. “Invest more in your relationships” as Rob Cross states in HBR. A marathon begins with a first step, and so do relationships at work and at home. Investing in getting to know people on a personal level helps develop strong relationships. Long term this can grow into friendships, mentorship, and sponsorship relationships.
   
   
4. Delivering collaborative impact. At Microsoft, performance and impact is measured in three dimensions. The direct impact you had, how you leveraged the work of others, and finally, how others leveraged your work. This framework ensures that your impact is lasting and done in a collaborative manner. I have used this framework outside of work, and it has been pretty durable—consider trying it!
   
   
5. Be comfortable with ambiguity. As I continue to work on complex business challenges across different situations, ambiguity becomes the name of the game. As such, comfort with ambiguity is what sets one apart as a leader. To provide clarity to myself and my team, I often leverage business and product management frameworks to put structure to problems. This results in a data driven and human centered approach to decision making.
   

I am excited to continue my Microsoft journey and very thankful and blessed for my brilliant village of mentors, sponsors, co-workers, and friends who I have had the privilege of working and interacting with. I am truly grateful to each one of you.

#Reflections #MicrosoftLife #WorkAnniversary