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☆ I'm the former VP of HR at Microsoft. Here's the 4 traits that indicate a bad manager.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Chris Williams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementI've seen more than a few bad managers in my over 40 years of business, leadership, and consulting — including as the Vice President of HR at Microsoft. Whether it's driven by ego or panic, bad managers are always worried about how they appear to others. Afraid of upsetting the team, the bad manager hides bad news they learn from above or around them. These teams rarely outperform, but you'd never know that from the limited available information — information hoarded jealously by their bad manager. Managers like this are famous — for the wrong reasonsWith this array of common traits, bad managers often become famous within the organization.

Persons: Chris Williams, Williams, you'd Organizations: Microsoft, Smart

☆ I'm the former VP of HR at Microsoft. I've witnessed many bad managers in my career — and they almost all had these 4 traits.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Chris Williams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementI've seen more than a few bad managers in my over 40 years of business, leadership, and consulting — including as the vice president of HR at Microsoft. Self-centeredThe most common trait I've seen in bad managers is a relentless focus on themselves. Whether it's driven by ego or panic, bad managers are always worried about how they appear to others. These teams rarely outperform, but you'd never know that from the limited available information — information hoarded jealously by their bad manager. Managers like this are famous — for the wrong reasonsWith this array of common traits, bad managers often become famous within the organization.

Persons: Chris Williams, Williams, you'd Organizations: Microsoft, Smart

☆ Factory slump and cost-of-living squeeze puts UK economy on course to shrink
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The BoE said earlier this month it only saw inflation falling below 4% from the second quarter of 2024. The PMI survey recorded the slowest growth in output prices since February 2021. Manufacturers - who make up 10% of Britain's economy - reported the biggest fall in output prices since February 2016, echoing wider weakness in the sector. "Companies are reporting reduced orders for goods and services as demand is increasingly hit by the cost-of-living crisis, higher interest rates, export losses and concerns about the economic outlook," Williamson said. Manufacturers said this fall appeared to be an attempt to reduce the need for working capital at a time of rising interest rates.

Persons: Carl Recine, BoE, Queen, Chris Williamson, Sterling, James Smith, P's Williamson, Williamson, David Milliken, William Schomberg, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS, PMI, P, P Global Market Intelligence, Bank of England, ING, Manufacturers, Thomson Locations: Altrincham, Britain

☆ US economy near stalling point as consumer demand weakens, survey says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Safiyah Riddle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Jeenah Moon/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 23 (Reuters) - U.S. business activity approached the stagnation point in August, with growth at its weakest since February as demand for new business in the vast service sector contracted. Wednesday's data was worse than expected, with economists polled by Reuters predicting that the services index would be 52.2 and the manufacturing index would be 49.3. "A near-stalling of business activity in August raises doubts over the strength of U.S. economic growth in the third quarter. Consumer demand posed a substantial drag on revenue for firms, as new business and orders contracted for firms across all sectors. New business in the service sector declined for the first time in six months, falling to 49.2 from 51.0 the month prior.

Persons: Chris Williamson, Safiyah Riddle, Chizu Organizations: REUTERS, P Global, Service, Manufacturing, Reuters, P Global Market Intelligence, Consumer, Fed, Thomson Locations: Little Italy, Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S

☆ PMIs show euro zone support from services sector has faded, economist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailPMIs show euro zone support from services sector has faded, economist saysChris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, discusses PMI figures for the euro zone and Germany, which sharply missed expectations.

Persons: Chris Williamson Organizations: P Global Market Intelligence Locations: Germany

☆ As Microsoft's former VP of HR, here are 4 things I would never do as an employee
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Chris Williams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

He says to never expect loyalty from the company and to never offer loyalty to them, either. Williams also says don't ask for a raise: "The minute you ask, you're starting from a position of weakness." And don't expect your company to be sympathetic to your years-long tenure when the layoffs are looming. So don't expect loyalty from your company, and don't offer your own. Don't ask for it because you need it or have a family to support.

Persons: Chris Williams, Williams, I'm, you'd, you've, who's, You've Organizations: Microsoft

☆ U.S. business activity growth slows as services soften
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Safiyah Riddle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

July's reading showed the sixth straight month of growth but was restrained by softening conditions in the service sector. “The overall rate of output growth, measured across manufacturing and services, is consistent with GDP expanding at an annualized quarterly rate of approximately 1.5% at the start of the third quarter. The slowdown may be viewed positively at the Fed, which is keen to see activity cool to lower inflation. The services activity index fell to 52.4 from 54.4 in June and was weaker than the reading of 54 expected among economists in a Reuters poll. The survey's manufacturing output index, meanwhile, experienced growth for the first time in two months, rising to 50.2 from a contracting rate of 46.9 in June.

Persons: Chris Williamson, Williamson, Safiyah Riddle, Andrea Ricci Organizations: P Global, P Global Market Intelligence, headcount, Thomson Locations: U.S

☆ Microsoft's ex-VP of HR says your boss is your most important ally at work. Here's how to win them over.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Chris Williams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

And the best ally to have is your boss. Which objective measures they can use to make these incredibly hard choices. Your best ally is your bossThey know you, your work, and your value. They think they need to be a sycophant, or a suck up, to win their boss as an ally. If you make your boss your ally, they will represent you well in that room where it happens.

Persons: Chris Williams, Williams, I'm, I've, aren't Organizations: Microsoft

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Shopify's midlife crisis, how to land deals with brands, and Microsoft's former human resources vice president shares advice
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Also, please let me know what you want to see in Insider Today. Startup studios like Fractal think of startup ideas, then hire founders to execute the vision. But multiple Fractal founders say their businesses are on life support. Many of them think it's because of how startup studios structure terms and conditions for investing — they take a massive chunk of ownership. Investors also prefer when startup founders create the ideas themselves.

Persons: I'm, Siu, Chelsea Jia Feng, Melia Russell, Stephanie Palazzolo, Tyler Le, Shopify's, Chris Williams, Lindsay Noah, Vermillion, Jim Vermillion, Diamond Naga Siu, Alistair Barr, Hallam Bullock Organizations: Startup, Investors, Nike, Abercrombie, Amazon, OpenAI, Syracuse Land Bank, Leasing, Galactic, Space Station, Computing, Intel, Microsoft, MIT Locations: Tech, Syracuse , New York, Syracuse, New York, San Francisco, San Diego, Silicon Valley, London

☆ Microsoft's ex-VP of HR says you should leave a company right away if you get put on a PIP: 'Surviving it is like a sign on your back'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Chris Williams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

If you find yourself on a PIP, a performance improvement plan, you need to be thinking about your next steps. People are put on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) because of significant issues meeting the job requirements. Surviving a PIP is much like a sign on your back that warns management that you are a potential poor performer. Regardless of where you travel within the company, there will always be the specter of the PIP in your past. PIP next stepsThat is why I recommend that anyone placed on a PIP immediately begin planning their next step.

Persons: Chris Williams, Williams, you've Organizations: Microsoft, Morning

☆ European business activity slows in June as higher interest rates begin to bite
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Business activity growth in Europe slowed in June, pointing to a difficult end to the second quarter, according to preliminary data Friday. Speaking to CNBC's Street Signs Europe, Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, described the numbers as "worrying." "Higher interest rates, the rise in the cost of living, all beginning to take their toll," he said. The European Central Bank has been increasing interest rates consistently for the past 12 months in an effort to bring down inflation. Higher rates can lead to higher costs for companies across the bloc, however, and so often become a drag on output.

Persons: Chris Williamson Organizations: P, P Global, P Global Market Intelligence, European Central Bank Locations: Europe

☆ US business activity growth slows in June but services keep humming along
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Dan Burns | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

June 23 (Reuters) - U.S. business activity fell to a three-month low in June as services growth eased for the first time this year and the contraction in the manufacturing sector deepened, closely watched survey data out Friday showed. Nonetheless, it was the fifth straight month that the PMI remained above 50, indicating growth in the private sector. The survey's flash services sector PMI fell to 54.1 from 54.9 in May. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the services PMI would ease to 54.0. Its flash manufacturing PMI dropped to 46.3 from 48.4 in May and was weaker than economists' median forecast of 48.5.

Persons: Chris Williamson, Williamson, Dan Burns, Chizu Organizations: P Global, PMI, P Global Market Intelligence, Commerce Department, Fed, Investors, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Atlanta

☆ UK economy stumbles but price pressures remain high
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 23 (Reuters) - Britain's economy showed signs of a slowdown this month but inflation pressures stayed high, according to a survey published a day after the Bank of England raised interest rates sharply and said it was ready to do more to tame price growth. The preliminary or 'flash' survey showed Britain's services sector grew at its slowest pace in three months while the manufacturing sector contracted by the most in six months. The BoE is expected to continue raising borrowing costs as it tries to tackle inflation which held at 8.7% in May. The PMI survey showed services firms increased their prices sharply once again this month although a bit less steeply than in May. By contrast, manufacturers cut the prices they charged for the first time in more than seven years.

Persons: Chris Williamson, BoE, Williamson, William Schomberg, Susan Fenton Organizations: Bank of England, P Global Market Intelligence, PMI, Companies, Thomson

☆ Higher interest rates are taking their toll on business activity, economist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailHigher interest rates are taking their toll on business activity, economist saysChris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, breaks down the latest PMIs figures out of the euro zone.

Persons: Chris Williamson Organizations: P Global Market Intelligence

LONDON, June 14 (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) has added three senior dealmakers to its team of bankers advising other financial institutions, such as insurance companies and lenders, according to a memo seen by Reuters on Wednesday and confirmed by a company spokesperson. It has hired Marie-Soazic Geffroy as global co-head of its Financial Institutions Group (FIG) from Perella Weinberg Partners (PWP.O). Based in Paris, she will lead the industry group alongside Jeff Cady, who is set to join the bank in New York from Citigroup (C.N). The bank has also appointed Chris Williams as FIG chairman for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Citigroup's Aaron Saperstein is also set to join Deutsche Bank in New York as head of diversified financials, covering speciality finance companies and financial technology lenders.

Persons: Marie, Soazic, Perella Weinberg, Jeff Cady, Chris Williams, Citigroup's Aaron Saperstein, Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro, Stefania Spezzati, Mark Potter Organizations: Deutsche Bank, Reuters, Group, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche, Thomson Locations: Paris, New York, Europe, East, Africa

☆ What it's like to work with a billionaire, according to ex-colleagues of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Sara Blakely
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Jack Sommers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Past colleagues discussed working with Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Sara Blakely. Here, people who've worked alongside Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Sara Blakely talk about what it was like. After buying their company, Gates interrogated Williams and his colleagues about why their product was better than its Microsoft rival's. Reuters 'Girl next door' Sara Blakely was a 'creative genius'Lisa Magazine and Kenya Graham were personal and executive assistants, respectively, to Blakely, the Spanx founder. Read more: Elon Musk was a 'fun' boss but fired people on the spot if they disagreed with him, former Tesla manager says

Persons: Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Sara Blakely, they'd, —, who've, Gates, Alex Wong, Chris Williams, Williams, aul Ellis, Colin Bryar, Bryar, Bezos, I've, Blakely, Lisa, Kenya Graham, Graham, Read, Sara Blakely's, Musk, Dimitrios Kambouris, Elon, Carl Medlock, he'll, Medlock, didn't Organizations: Service, Elon, Microsoft, Amazon, Amazon VP, Reuters, Lisa Magazine, Kenya, Nordic Business, Getty Locations: Blakely, Atlanta, Medlock

☆ China's service sector remains a bright spot as factory data disappoints, Caixin reading shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

China's services activity remained well within growth territory in April as a private survey showed a softer reading from March. Atlantide Phototravel | Corbis Documentary | Getty ImagesChina's services activity remained well within growth territory in April, even as a private survey showed a softer reading compared with March. The latest Caixin reading suggests that services activity is still "undergoing a fast recovery," according to Wang Zhe, senior economist at Caixin Insight Group. The continued expansion in China's services activity stood in contrast to the disappointing factory activity reported earlier in the week. "It is worth noting that manufacturing and services activity diverged, with employment and input costs in the manufacturing sector contracting significantly," Wang wrote.

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Free Apple AirTags, EV resistance, and ChatGPT Plus for all
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I attended my first rodeo, woke up early for a farmers' market, visited different pickleball venues, and tried other new things. Researchers examined 1,600 conversations (850 hours and 7 million words total) and measured how people reacted to the interactions. Firstly, IRL conversations involve a degree of back-and-forth that is hard to replicate digitally because of lag and missed cues. Elon Musk pays $10,000 to settle a defamation lawsuit. Elon Musk has cut around 90% of the company within half a year of taking over.

☆ Why Prices, Inflation Are Still Soaring: Corporate Price Gouging
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

While many of the problems that helped trigger the upward spiral have abated, prices are still high and getting higher. The idea that companies are taking advantage of disruptions to push price increases on consumers has many names — greedflation, excuseflation, price gouging, corporate profiteering — but the gist is the same. Supply-chain issues and other disruptions made sense as drivers of higher prices, Chris Becker, a senior economist and the associate director of policy and research at the Groundwork Collaborative, told me. "Working people are suffering thanks to corporate greed, so we need to enact tougher rules to ensure corporations pay a price when they price gouge." Working people are suffering thanks to corporate greed, so we need to enact tougher rules to ensure corporations pay a price when they price gouge.

So there was extra attention around this year’s “Mr Irrelevant” – Desjuan Johnson, a defensive lineman out of the University of Toledo drafted by the Los Angeles Rams as the 259th and final pick. “Just be getting picked, final pick, first pick, middle pick, everything [is] unique,” Johnson said, according to ESPN. “My dad was on my mind today,” said Johnson, who was just four years old when his father died, according to his university website. “Just to learn from him, from watching film and now get to sit next to him and just take notes, I’m going to just be like a newborn,” he said. “I feel like I’m going to be like a newborn, trying to take as much in [and trying] to learn under him.”

☆ I worked closely with Bill Gates for 8 years as an executive at Microsoft. Here are the 3 lessons he taught me that I'll never forget.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Chris Williams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

From my very first meeting with Bill Gates it was clear he was someone you could learn from. That grilling in a tiny Microsoft conference room in the summer of 1992 was one I'll never forget. From then through to my time as Vice President of HR when I was afforded many one-on-one meetings with him, I learned many things from Bill Gates. It seems that Bill learned early on that pressing for details until failure resulted in two kinds of responses. I learned a lot from spending time with Bill Gates.

The PMI was driven by the services sector as consumer spending on travel, leisure and entertainment showed strength while manufacturing remained weak. S&P Global's input price index - a good guide to future inflation pressures - showed the slowest growth in costs for firms since March 2021, although overall cost pressures remained high by historical standards. There were also signs of recovery in Friday's consumer confidence survey by polling firm GfK which rose to its highest since February last year, albeit to weak levels. There was a reminder of the problems facing many consumers in official retail sales data also published on Friday. "A strong performance from retailers in January and February means the three-month picture shows positive growth for the first time since August 2021," he said.

The survey's flash services sector PMI rose to 53.7, the highest reading in a year, from 52.6 in March. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the services PMI falling to 51.5. Flash PMIIn the euro zone, the bloc's dominant services industry saw already-buoyant demand rise too, more than offsetting a deepening downturn in manufacturing. However, the manufacturing PMI fell to 45.5 from 47.3, its lowest since the coronavirus pandemic was cementing its grip on the world three years ago. "The PMI sheds a positive light on the economic performance in the euro zone, as a pickup in service sector activity is boosting growth," said Bert Colijn, senior euro zone economist at ING, noting manufacturing weakness remained a concern.

☆ How Larry Page's flying-car company of the future turned into a stunning failure
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Although I'm currently pretty homesick and jet lagged, I'm blessed with "the life-changing magic of working from home." One worker told my colleague Rebecca Knight how remote work transformed her life and how returning to the office has killed company morale. The stunning failure of Google founder Larry Page's flying-car company. In April 2022, company morale plummeted when it axed one of its most promising projects, those former insiders say. The company put together a thorough document to help managers navigate pay-related conversations with employees, and Insider got a look.

☆ I'm a former Microsoft VP of HR. Here are the real reasons why layoffs are happening and how much longer they'll last.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Chris Williams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Some of the layoffs we've seen have included long-time employees years from their most meaningful contributions. The opticsSome of the layoffs we've seen in tech are ones that the companies have probably wished they could do for years. The future is brightWe are in a season of layoffs, and it's not clear we've seen the last or worst of it. That said, there is no reason to see the layoffs as a harbinger of doom and gloom for the tech world. Chris Williams is the former VP of HR at Microsoft and a leadership advisor, podcaster, TikTok creator, and author.

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