This memo made me feel totally out of step as well as revealing deep hypocrisy when I was a new group manager out of Silicon Valley at MS in the late 90s. I agree w not spending company money frivolously. But the informal dress code and weenies references were very narrowly targeted to a certain young American male demographic. I was told to wear khakis and jeans when I had never owned either. Asian employees from modest backgrounds were used to shrimp not weenies at home. Senior Microsoft VPs and GMs talked about their private planes w admins making less than $50k/yr present at lunch at Red West cafeteria.
This memo made me feel totally out of step as well as revealing deep hypocrisy when I was a new group manager out of Silicon Valley at MS in the late 90s. I agree w not spending company money frivolously. But the informal dress code and weenies references were very narrowly targeted to a certain young American male demographic. I was told to wear khakis and jeans when I had never owned either. Asian employees from modest backgrounds were used to shrimp not weenies at home. Senior Microsoft VPs and GMs talked about their private planes w admins making less than $50k/yr present at lunch at Red West cafeteria.