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Microsoft support is not very good

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Wow, no posts from me for 7 months and suddenly the muse is back.  Although it is certainly triggered by difficulties I am having getting simple things done through others.  I am trying hard though.

Microsoft Fails

This story requires a little bit of background about how email works. Hopefully you will find it interesting, the theme though is how Microsoft is unable to resolve what is relatively. a simple problem.

The background

When you send email from your desktop or mobile device it goes to a mail server associated with your email service (e.g hotmail, gmail, outlook).  This is the senders mail server.

Using a process called MTA (mail transfer agent) or SMTP relay (mail transfer protocol relay) the senders mail server searches the internet for the recipients mail server location, using the internets Domain Name Servers (DNS) .

The recipient can have more than one mail server listed in DNS, a primary and one or more backups.  The standard is for the MTA to select the recipients primary mail server first and only if it fails then the secondary or backup server is selected.

Microsoft Mail Server Behaves Like  SPAM server

The Microsoft mail server always selects the backup or lower priority recipients mail server first even if the primary server is live.  This is to avoid spam/junk mail filtering as typically the backup servers do not have such filtering in place (they are bare bones)

For major email service like Microsoft’s, this is a travesty.  They are supporting the delivery of spam and junk mail.  For comparison, gmail, yahoo, icloud and the majority of legitimate corporate mail servers use the primary mail server first when available.

 Like a brick wall

I tried repeatedly over numerous support tickets (more than 5) to get Microsoft to acknowledge and adjust this inappropriate mail server behaviour, to no avail.

I have since advised the Canadian Government Anti- Spam agency about this is issue.  Given it would have a world wide impact on reducing spam and junk email, I hope they take action but doubt anything will change

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Your Cut Man

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More than 30 years ago a work colleague shared an analogy with me about expectations we should have of our leaders.  It was as accurate then as it is now.

The basic theme is a core attribute effective leaders must always demonstrate fully completely.  The analogy defines a required practice for leaders to gain and retain power whether granted or earned.

Core Belief

To achieve personal high performance requires support you can trust.  Take the role of “cut-man” in boxing.  During the match the cut man is always in the boxer’s corner, wiping the blood from cuts he receives during the match, providing motivational support.

However, the fight is proceeding the cut-mans role is to enable the boxer to fight the best fight, win or lose, whatever blows or attacks are made the cut-man is in the boxer’s corner, on his side.

The boxer is able to believe to his very core that he can trust in the support of his cut-man.  The knowledge is critical to him being able to continue particularly under what might become very adverse heavy slogging.

The analogy typically resonates with each of us so that in the face of adversity we can fight the best fight because we are confident someone has our back.

Without Cut-Man

Unfortunately, sometimes the leader you are associated with is not a good cut-man.  Although you will probably strive to overcome this deficiency it is probably likely that you won’t be able to achieve your maximum potential.

We all need somebody.  Perhaps it is time for you to cut and run, maybe greener pastures with a solid trustworthy supportive leader are worth seeking.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Understanding

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When used as an adjective the term understanding refers to the ability or practice of being sympathetically aware of other people’s feelings and using that sympathy to be tolerant and forgiving.

As a noun, the word is broadly about comprehension.  Being understanding of others does require comprehension of their situation so the adjective usage is consistent.

Empathy and Understanding

The practice of understanding is key to being empathetic.  To share how others are feeling and be sympathetic to it, we need to be able to have an understanding of what they are feeling.

Using empathy is key to being able to engage and interact with other people in the most effective way.  The key to practicing empathy is not to lose sight of the fact that while it is all about you, being understanding of others actually helps you.

For most of us, living as a hermit is not enjoyable.  We need to enjoy interacting with others and being empathetic will help you to do that.

So treating others with understanding is required even for self centred people.    It might be all about you but without positive interactions others you probably won’t be happy.

Not Charity

What I am suggesting is basic respect for others. This is not being charitable by assisting those in need or acting favourably toward them.

Understanding others is a bi-directional practice.  Your understanding coupled with their understanding leads to healthy and happy relationships.  These are enjoyable and after all is that not what we seek.

 

 

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

HelpIng Others

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When you are accountable  (others may be executing the tasks required to meet the objective) the consequences associated with the outcomes fall to you. 

There is a delicate balance between directly assisting (hands-on), providing explicit instructions (micro-managing), gentle guidance (mentoring) and full empowerment (hands-off).

Choosing Wisely

Accountability often entails getting things done through others.  How you assist them is a choice and is very dependent on the situtation.  

The option you choose (from hands-on to hands-off and everything in between) will be a significant contributing factor toward success or failure of the activity. 

The key is not to let anxiety about your accountability override the focus on enabling others to excel.  That is, getting things done through others is not about you, it is about them. 

Helping Unostentatiously

Providing help to others achieve the defined objective (your accountability), regardless of which approach you select (hands-on/hands-off), should be characterized by a lack of vulgar or pretentious behaviour which is designed to impress or attract notice.

The most effective assistance, (that is the actions and results are improved), is seamless, not even noticeable.   Helping others without them knowing is always the best approach.  

Everyone is Important

Sometimes the top level accountability is translated into importance.  Importance is associated with the role and location in an organizational or social heirarchy. 

Others performance,  that is the action of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function, is dependent on the importance you place on it.  

Helping someone accomplish their task should not displace the importance they should feel with your own importance (organizational, structural or otherwise) 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Down the Funnel

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Groups of people gathered together with a common purpose constitute a team.  Intuitively team work can be both more efficient and higher quality than that of an individual or a group of individuals working together not necessarily with the same goal. 

Teams typically begin with a bunch of disparate views and ideas.  Think of these as filling the top of a funnel.  To gain the maximum efficiencies and quality the ideas need to be filtered, sharpened and moved down the funnel

Each move down the funnel focuses the work and thus fine tunes the objective so by the time it pops out the end of the funnel is is clean, clear and complete. 

Facilitation

Progressing down the funnel typically does not occur naturally.  Some finesse is required.  Having one member of the group accountable for facilitation (that is making the finesse happen) is a really good idea. 

Very simply stated, facilitation is behaviours focused on making an activity or process easier.  Taking a wealth of valuable input from the team and enabling them to uncover the  gold, that is the powerful product that comes out of the small end of the funnel, is a critical and invaluable skill.

Facilitation is a delicate path as true facilitators are like a catalyst,  helping the reaction procced but not actively part of it.

The first step is recognizing the team needs a facilitator, the second is appointing one and finally supporting them as they help the team achieve it’s goal.