Culture = the pillar of transformation

Fixed vs. Growth Mindset

Growth Mindset: The theory of "developmental" learning considers that success is based on effort and learning. 

Fixed Mindset:The theory of "fixed" intelligence considers that success is based on innate abilities.

Growth Mindset and transformation

• Every employee has potential to develop and improve his or her skills. 
• The purpose of work is to learn and improve. 
• Employees' Growth Mindset can be developed by encouraging learning and recognizing effort and progress.

Growth Mindset at Microsoft

Here's how Satya Nadella defines the Growth Mindset for Microsoft in 3 points: 

1. We need to be obsessed with our customers. At the heart of what we do must be curiosity and the desire to address a customer's unarticulated and unmet needs with cutting-edge technology.
2. We're at our best when we actively pursue diversity and inclusion.
3. We are one company, one Microsoft, not a confederation of fiefdoms.

Changing the culture of a company with 130,000 employees

Leadership: Embodying cultural principles

Illustrate cultural principles by personal example: 

• Recognize mistakes quickly, 
• Recognize when a colleague is right to foster humility,
• Clarify and reaffirm messages and objectives when necessary.

Organization: Aligning culture and organization

Define the right performance criteria, starting with the transformation of the appraisal system:

• Moving from a culture of individual performance to one of collective performance. 
• Employee appraisal based on their contribution.
• Employee development is at the heart of the discussions.
• Talent talks make it easier to promote internal mobility

Microsoft is also creating a "culture commission" headed by Chief People Officer Kathleen Hogan. The annual survey is replaced by weekly consultations on specific topics, with simple questions. 

Management: anchoring culture in everyday life

A new managerial model that puts managers at the heart of the transformation effort: 

• Following a wide-ranging consultation process, a new definition of the manager's role was announced: ensuring success through empowerment and accountability. 
• This mission relies on 3 key skills 
• All managers receive training in this management model. 
  
  
  

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The cultural factor is at the heart of a company's transformation. At Microsoft, the Growth Mindset has made it possible to translate the values espoused by Nadella: recognition of individual potential and continuous learning efforts. Cultural transformation involves 3 stages: Embodying leaders; Aligning culture and organization; Implementing cultural principles in everyone's daily life.