Things Stephen Rose learned as a member of the Microsoft Community

For over 15 years at Microsoft, I have been passionate about amplifying the voice of our product users. Whether it was through EAP (Early Adopters Program), MVP, technical community member, STEP, MODE, or IT, because their voices reflected all users equally and importantly. I am still a part of the Microsoft community. I speak in person at events, participate in online conferences, and post in various technical communities like this one. It may seem like a lot of time is spent helping others, but let me tell you what I get in return. Here is what I get in return: Four important things In this process, I learned the following:

“Together, the Apes Are Strong” – Rise of the Planet of the Apes
life The power of community
Before joining Microsoft, I was an MVP, and I saw firsthand what happens when people get excited about a product or service they use every day.

[Left] 2007 | Vista Launch Event, my first event as an MVP. With MVP Mark Rosenberg, Daniel Egan, and Lynn Langit (Microsoft Evangelist). [Right] 2008 | Steve Ballmer attends the first MVP Summit where he answers MVP questions.

Communities have the power to bring people together from all over the world to create a sense of belonging and support. They allow individuals to share experiences, knowledge, and passions with others who share similar interests. Through this exchange of information, members gain new perspectives and insights from diverse perspectives.

Online communities also provide a platform for individuals to find support and encouragement, whether they are facing personal challenges or pursuing their goals. Finally, when enough people start discussing issues with a product or service, their voices are heard and change happens. Become a change agent within the best community in tech, the change agency.

“Danger, Will Robinson, danger!” – Lost in Space
life Learn from other people’s mistakes
Since starting my company – StephenLRose.comI now work with clients in a variety of verticals, from finance to pharmaceuticals to manufacturing to services. What I have learned is that no matter how knowledgeable you are about a product, individuals and organizations have their own “unique” ways of using it that no one else has ever done before. One example is a company that told its users to save all their documents in a Windows subfolder because hackers “won’t find them there.” Haha.

[Left] 2011 | Indianapolis, Indiana – Community networking session on the Get On The Bus tour. [Right] 2017 | We interviewed members of the OneDrive engineering team to learn about Timeline and top feature requests from the community.

I shared this story with the community to find out if there was truth to the President, and furthermore, to understand the risks of doing this. I received many great responses and provided more balanced responses than I could have done on my own. To be honest, I was initially shocked by this “security practice,” but the community’s insights have allowed me to create a consistent “guideline-based” response to this.

I’m sure many of you can share stories with the community that can help others avoid the same mistakes they’ve made, and even better, how to avoid them. I highly encourage you to share your stories. Mention me, or if it’s an interesting and tricky problem, “mention everyone” (i.e. the community) to help you solve it.

“The Wide-Armed Darmok” – Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 5, Episode 2)
life The value of sharing knowledge
I am old. I remember using a 56k x2 modem, PCMCIA slot, IOMEGA disk, Cheetah Fastback and using DC PROMO on terminal to promote a server from BDC (Backup Domain Controller) to PDC (Primary Domain Controller). But that comes with years of experience and understanding. I can chat comfortably with everyone from CEO to backup to assistant administrator because I have done all their jobs. Just like in a restaurant, the manager who has worked all the jobs and all the stations in the restaurant is respected because he has been there.

[Top left] Here’s a photo of the pro players together at the 2014 Springboard Party. [Top right] During our 2012 Get On The Bus South American tour, we made amazing connections with community members in Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Chile. [Bottom left > right] Noted Microsoft employee and community advocate Rick Close (left) and DJ Joey Snow (right) attend the Springboard party in New Orleans.

Sharing your knowledge is crucial to building a strong community. You can do this by blogging, podcasting, speaking at local user groups, attending larger M365 or TechCon365 conferences, or participating in Tech Community support forums. You are the people who do your job based on your knowledge of these software packages. This is your opportunity to help others succeed, and in return, help you when you need help with new products. As Ferris Buller says, “Life moves very fast.”

“By the Hammer of Grabthar, by the Sun of Worvan, you will be avenged!” – Galaxy Quest
life The community supports you
At conferences, I like to create and attend after-hours meetups with names like Copilot Lessons Learned, Adoption: Share Your Tales or Terror, or my favorite, Have A Cigar/Share Your Frustration Meet-Up. Look for opportunities to share. The community loves it when you share your stories.

[Left] 2010 | In Chicago with Michael Bender and Marko Russinovic. [Right] I spent a long day at TechEd EMEA in Berlin talking with Steve Campbell, Michael Niehaus, Jeremy Chapman, Melissa Battam, Liberty Munson, and myself.

On evenings like this, I feel reassured that the community is alive for the right reasons. When one of us shares their secrets, it encourages others to do the same. I can’t tell you how surprised I am when people ask me to share something on social. Maybe they’re asking if I can speak to a 50-person user group on the East Coast via Teams, or if I can be a guest on a podcast. I love doing this and doing it on behalf of others because we protect each other. If a troll attacks one of us, we’ll respond in huge numbers and push them under the bridge! If there’s a session at a conference, we’ll fill in and share material we’ve done in the past to help accelerate and reaffirm.

“And may the Force be with you always” – Star Wars – A New Hope
The day I left Microsoft after 15 years was a tough day for me. After posting my thoughts and appreciation on LinkedIn, I was surprised to see so many people thanking me for helping them on their journey to success through my talks, one-on-ones, blogs, or webcasts. It really helped me during those tough times. Then the same people reached out to me to connect and offer projects. The community supported me even after I was there for them for so many years. And I am forever grateful.

As Luke and Han received their medals, it was a moment that made me reflect on my journey. Lifelong friendships, lost community members that I think about every day, and the feeling that I earned this because so many people understood me.

Thank you to all my friends, and may the force always be with you.

— Stephen Rose

About Steven
Steven helps enterprises around the world plan, pilot, deploy, manage, secure, and adopt products including Microsoft 365, Teams, Copilot, and a variety of AI tools and third-party products.

Steven was a business owner, MCT and MVP for many years before joining Microsoft in 2009. While there, he oversaw IT pro training and content for Windows, OneDrive, Office, Teams and Copilot until his departure in 2023.

He currently consults with a variety of clients to help them manage change and new ways of working by showing them how to use the tools they currently have more effectively and prepare for the AI ​​tools they will need to get ahead.

Check out all the great videos featuring members of our community on his website. StephenLRose.com/video. Here’s a sample from Steven Shaw: Unplug IT“Unlocking the Potential of AI in SharePoint: Conversations Richard Harbridge (CTO of 2toLead)”:

Visit StephenLRose.com To learn more:
• Find him on X: @StephenLRose
• LinkedIn: linkedin/in/StephenLRose