Transforming management frameworks at Microsoft

Company: Microsoft

Established: 1975

Industry: Technology

When one of Microsoft’s marketing teams sought to reinvent their annual planning “offsite” to establish new goals and a more dynamic and efficient management framework, they turned to Synozur, a leader in strategic consulting. This case study explores how Synozur’s consulting expertise played a pivotal role in revolutionizing Microsoft’s management processes, enhancing team productivity, and fostering innovation.

Microsoft’s Modern Work organization, part of its’ Cloud Marketing division, is responsible for the marketing and promotion of cutting-edge productivity tools designed to enhance workplace efficiency.  Modern Work Marketing has several Product Marketing Groups (“PMGs”) focused on specific product portfolios across Microsoft 365. Each team typically runs at least one annual multi-day “offsite” planning event to prepare for the upcoming fiscal year.

For one PMG, despite the team’s success in driving product innovation, they lacked a management framework for planning, goal attainment, impact, and team cohesion. Recognizing the need for a more cohesive and agile approach, Microsoft sought Synozur’s expertise to implement a transformative management framework and help with annual planning.

OBJECTIVE:

The primary objectives of Synozur’s consulting engagement were to:

  • Support the development of team OKRs and an annual plan

  • Develop an integrated team management framework

  • Enhance cross-functional collaboration within the PMG team.

  • Foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

Introduction

Synozur embarked on a transformative journey with Microsoft’s Modern Work Product Marketing Group (PMG) to establish a new management framework. The objective was to enhance the team's goal-setting capabilities and improve overall efficiency through data-driven behavioral science and the implementation of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs).

Background

Product marketing groups at Microsoft are responsible for the business side of their products. They oversee a broad range of products, from well-established mature products, features of larger product suites, and new product launches. They need to engage a broad range of stakeholders – including product engineering, field sales, channel partners, and customers across multiple channels to drive revenue and business success.

Annual planning for marketing (and managing a two-day "offsite" retreat) often poses challenges for any team, given the varied levels of experience with goal setting, and the desire to avoid “BOPSAT” (Bunch Of People Sit Around Talking”).

The PMG leader needed to create a new team culture and establish connected goals and OKRs to ensure success or Microsoft. Offsites happen every year at Microsoft, and with recent expansion of the team, it was essential to deliver high-impact planning.

Synozur's task was to unify the team's approach to defining and achieving goals, thereby fostering a more cohesive and productive working environment.

METHODOLOGY

Synozur adopted a comprehensive and collaborative approach to achieve these objectives. The methodology included:

2. Strategic Framework Development

Based on the assessment, Synozur and Microsoft developed the agenda for the offsite meeting, and a plan for establishing a new OKR framework, tailored to the unique needs of the PMG. Key components included:

  • Establishing clear roles and responsibilities to eliminate ambiguity.

  • Implementing agile methodologies to enhance flexibility and responsiveness.

  • Adjusting weekly and monthly team meetings and feedback loops to improve communication and collaboration.

  • Setting OKRs to measure progress and drive accountability.

1. Assessment & Analysis

Synozur began with an in-depth assessment of the PMG team’s existing management framework. This involved:

  • Conducting pre-interviews with key stakeholders to understand pain points and aspirations.

  • Analyzing current workflows, communication patterns, and decision-making processes.

  • Identifying gaps and areas for improvement.

3. Implementation and Training Offsite

The off-site began with Synozur delivering a comprehensive workshop leveraging the data-driven behavioral methodology. This approach helped the team uncover their working styles and identify ways to collaborate more effectively.

Next, Synozur introduced the team to the concept of OKRs through focused training sessions. Many team members had never previously established or owned personal measurable goals. The training covered the fundamentals of OKRs, how to define them, and how to create new OKRs for the upcoming year.

Microsoft already had established top line goals for revenue, customer engagement, field readiness, channel partner development, and team development. Using design-led thinking, Synozur facilitated exercises to capture, prioritize, and establish a hierarchy of OKRs with measurable results. Although it may seem well know, it was helpful to review the SMART acronym for key results:

  • Specific

  • Measurable

  • Achievable

  • Relevant

  • Time-Bound

Finally, Synozur helped the team develop its initial list of quarterly projects and deliverable to support the new OKRs. This was reduced to a single slide view of major activities for ease of information with other stakeholders.

4. Operationalize

Agreeing on goals is one thing, however operationalizing them is another. Synozur provided individual and group coaching on creating OKRs using Viva Goals, Microsoft’s product for managing organizations OKRs. This included one-on-one time with team members who needed additional support. New rhythms for weekly check-ins and monthly goal reviews were established to create more efficient meetings and ensure that the PMG's goals were met or exceeded.

Synozur worked closely with the PMG to ensure a smooth transition to the new management framework. This stage involved:

  • Conducting workshops and training sessions to familiarize the team with new processes and tools.

  • Providing ongoing support and guidance to address any challenges during the implementation phase.

  • Encouraging a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

  • 1:1 team member coaching as needed

  • Support during weekly and monthly team meetings for several months

Results

The implementation of Synozur’s management framework yielded significant benefits for the PMG team:

  • Higher achievement: By promoting and reviewing OKRs as part of the PMG’s management framework, the team was able to identify issues sooner and ensure that OKR goals were met or exceeded, including >100% revenue growth.

  • Enhanced Collaboration: The new framework facilitated better cross-functional collaboration, breaking down silos and fostering a winning team identity.

  • Improved Efficiency: Agile methodologies and streamlined processes resulted in faster decision-making and accelerated product marketing initiatives.

  • Increased Innovation: Regular feedback loops and a focus on continuous improvement encouraged team members to propose new ideas and experiment with innovative strategies.

  • Clear Accountability: Defined roles, responsibilities, and KPIs ensured that team members were accountable for their contributions, leading to higher performance and productivity.

Synozur's consulting not only enhanced Microsoft's goal-setting and operational capabilities but also fostered a more cohesive and collaborative working environment. Team members better understood their own natural behaviors and that of their teammates, resulting in improved alignment of strengths and team efforts.

The team learned how individual contributions aligned with larger PMG and divisional goals, empowering them to learn from one another's successes. A new monthly communications framework was established to efficiently develop and communicate progress updates to a broad set of leadership stakeholders.

Microsoft senior director of product marketing, M365

“I couldn’t be happier with the results. We had a great offsite that brought the team together on common goals instead of running as a band of disconnected individuals. We were able to achieve more on our objectives and share them like never before.”

Conclusion:
Synozur’s consulting expertise played a crucial role in transforming the management framework of Microsoft’s Modern Work Product Marketing Group. By developing and implementing a strategic framework that emphasized collaboration, agility, and continuous improvement, Synozur enabled the PMG to achieve new levels of efficiency and innovation.