Favorite Parts of Being a Chief of Staff at Microsoft
Sonia, Microsoft's Chief of Staff, most enjoys the strong relationships built over eight years with colleagues on the Windows and Surface team, emphasizing that "having a great manager is like 50% of the game". The role's broad scope across marketing, planning, and operations also provides valuable cross-disciplinary learning, which Sonia describes as a "mini MBA".
Teamwork, Leadership, Communication, Problem-Solving, Career Development
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Sonia Dara
Chief of Staff
Microsoft
Harvard
N/A
Economics
Technology, Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Communication and Marketing
Honors Student, Took Out Loans
Video Highlights
1. Working with a great team and building strong relationships is key to a positive work experience.
2. A supportive manager is crucial for career success and clarity.
3. The role offers a broad perspective across various disciplines, providing valuable learning opportunities similar to an MBA program
Transcript
What do you enjoy most about being in your current role?
I love the team I get to work on. I've been part of the Windows and Surface team for seven to eight years, which is crazy. I think that's because of the people first and foremost.
I really love the people I work with. I'm able to build great working relationships with them, and that just makes life so much easier when you can both have alignment and reach a common goal together.
I'm not saying you have to be best friends with everyone, but it does make life easier if you can trust your teammates. So, I really, really enjoy the people I work with.
I love my boss; I get the support and coverage that I need. At our company, a great manager is 50% of the game. You get clarity and can keep that line of communication open.
So, that's definitely what I enjoy most: the people. For the actual role itself, I just love that I get this thousand-foot view across all the different work we do.
Our org covers all go-to-market, product marketing management, business planning, and operations. Without having to get into one particular marketing role within each of those, I have this across-the-board view.
I've almost treated this like a mini-MBA because I learn across all the different disciplines and have exposure to them, supporting them wherever they might need help. So, I really love the learning I've gotten from this type of role.