When you join Microsoft, you hear stories about people who’ve been there for 20 years, who grew up with the company, who never had to worry about sudden changes (maybe except for 2008). The performance management system had its quirks, but there was an understanding that if you did solid work, you’d have a place. But something shifted. Maybe it was the market, maybe it was the pressure to stay competitive with companies that move faster and pay more. The implicit agreement that made lower compen...