Last week I published my second interview with Skype CEO Tony Bates. He shared a few of his ideas about values that will guide Skype through coming challenges and growth, the way Cisco’s guided them. Tony’s list was, roughly:
- Engineering will lead product innovation.
- Skype is a truly global company.
- Skype must speed bringing ideas to market.
- A dynamic company for a dynamic world.
Useful “how we do things” mandates for a company in transition. They don’t identify who Skype is and what it stands for.
So here’s my own rough draft.
We Believe In Talking.
Speech is not just a human right, it defines us as human beings. Talking connects us to our families, our friends, our work and our communities. Skype helps people talk.
We Believe In Fidelity.
We will strive to make your conversations as vivid and true-to-life as you want them to be.
Relationships Matter.
Relationships are built one conversation at a time. They bring knowledge, friendship, love and trust. Skype helps you give relationships the care, attention and skill they need to prosper.
People Form Groups.
Belonging is a fundamental human drive. People form informal groups among friends and people who share interests. People form formal groups, like companies, teams, and governments. Skype will help groups form. Skype helps groups talk internally and with other groups.
Speech Leads To Action.
We are more powerful with others. Working together is how we improve our lives and heal the world. Skype helps people get things done together in the workplace, in the public square, in the arts, in learning, and in our playgrounds. You will get more done when you Skype.
Safety First.
You should be free from fear. Skype actively opposes abusive communication, the use of communication to further violence and other crimes, identity theft and other property crimes. We will help you be free from casual surveillance by private parties and governments.
We Support The Personal Power Of Skype Users.
Your data is yours to control. We help you define and enforce your privacy in our corner of the digital world. We support your data portability rights including the ability to bring your data to Skype, to put it to good use with Skype and with other services, and to leave gracefully with all your data. We listen intently.
We Cannot Do This Alone.
Skype needs partners; we will be a great partner. We rely on the rule of law; we will be good citizens. We depend on the Internet and the intellectual property commons; we will leave the Internet better than we found it.
I’m sure Skype’s employees can improve on this straw man proposal. That’s what intranet wikis and retreats are for.
Is this how you see Skype? Items to add, subtract or change?
A note for context: Professor Jim Collins (famous for Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t
In 17 of the 18 pairs of companies in our research, we found the visionary company was guided more by a core ideology—core values and a sense of purpose beyond just making money—than the comparison company was. A deeply held core ideology gives a company both a strong sense of identity and a thread of continuity that holds the organization together in the face of change.
We chose the word ideology because we found an almost religious fervor in the visionary companies as they grew up that we did not see to the same degree in the comparison companies. 3M’s dedication to innovation, P&G’s commitment to product excellence, Nordstrom’s ideal of heroic customer service, HP’s belief in respect for the individual—those were sacred tenets, to be pursued zealously and preserved as a guiding force for generations.
What is your sense of Skype’s purpose?
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About Phil Wolff