Respect, Integrity and Accountability

The values at Microsoft

The values of a company not only determine how they run the business, but also how the organisation operates together internally and builds trust with its the public and its employees.

At Microsoft, it is important that the values they stand for also align to the company's mission and support the culture that they are trying to foster.

This is because their values declare how Microsoft interacts with its customers and partners and brings forward questions on how employees can demonstrate these values in action (by embodying them in things that they do). As people's perceptions of a person or institutions' values are shaped by how they act and if they truly practise what they preach.

Respect

Recognising that the thoughts, feelings, and backgrounds of others are just as important as our own.

Respect	Disrespect
Curious about others and their ideas	Criticize people for being different
Listen with empathy	Shut people down
Seek to understand	Be defensive
Treat people with dignity	Shout, insult, or name-call
Look for common ground	Threaten or intimidate others

Integrity

We are honest, ethical, and trustworthy.

Integrity	Dishonesty
Stay true to our values and culture	Violate policies or laws
Listen with empathy	Misuse authority or power
Speak the truth, with care	Be less than completely truthful
Offer support when the truth is told	Take credit that belongs to others
Keep our word	Break our promises

Accountability

We accept full responsibility for our decisions, actions, and results.

Accountability	Ignorance
Be responsible for results	Stand by without helping
Respond to crises quickly	Look for excuses
Step in to help others	Allow issues to go unaddressed
Take initiative to make things better	Consistently fail to improve and learn
Learn from our mistakes and failures	Don’t admit mistakes