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Trevin has a post on a recent management training class he took at Microsoft.

This class is the replacement for a class that used to be called Management Essentials.

I took Management Essentials 3 years ago. It was the single biggest life changing event for me in the context of my professional career. Reasons why the class is amazing:

• The people. You are simply floored by the quality of the people and the rich discussions you’ll have.
• The instructors. Superb.
• The fun and competition. You play some really fun and competitive simulations.
• The immersive learning experience.
• The lack of email, and real “touch” with the real world.

Probably the biggest thing for me was the fact that it was the first time I was taken out of the context of my personal and work life and was able to view myself and what I was doing objectively. Sort of like a third person view into my life.

For me, that class was the beginning of many changes I would take in my life (including a new job at Microsoft). I really cherished the experiences I had, and the people I hung out with. It’s nothing short of amazing that Microsoft has this course.

If you are a manager at Microsoft, you should take this class about 2 years after you become a manager. And you should probably take it every 5 years.