Xbox chief Phil Spencer has this week delivered an extremely interesting talk during the DICE Summit in Las Vegas, revealing some noteworthy things about his first months in charge of the Xbox division of Microsoft, and the company's efforts to be more inclusive in general.
"It was obvious Microsoft needed a reboot," Spencer told the audience when talking about the company as a whole as it was four years ago. "Morale had hit a low, we were all massively frustrated we kept missing big trends. In some ways, it felt like real innovation was impossible. And the in-fighting and fiefdoms were so famous, people made fun of it. Which would have been funny, if it hadn't been so true."
"Everything is changing," he went on, "the way we relate to each other, to our partners and even to our competitors. The way we build teams, the way we build projects, the way we commit, every single day, to making Microsoft a safe and inclusive place for all."
Spencer went on to explain how, after taking over as chief of Xbox, he felt he had to rebuild trust with his team. Speaking to the entire division, Spencer revealed how he told them some confidential intel that couldn't be made public, trusting his team to keep the secret under wraps.
"The amazing thing is, word didn't leak. Not one tweet, not one forum post. That was a significant milestone in our journey to rebuild trust between the leaders and the team. It was about empathy, and addressing their worries and trusting them first."
During the talk Spencer also discussed how they're trying to make Microsoft more inclusive, making sure ideas are shared and that everyone is represented equally. It's not all gone smoothly, however, and Spencer also discussed the scandal that surrounded the dancing girls who were employed during a Microsoft party at GDC in 2016, explaining how they've learned from mistakes like that, taking responsibility for their decisions.
It's an interesting talk and worth a watch if you're interested in the industry and Microsoft in particular.