Microsoft’s next big challenge: Stopping talent from following Ballmer out the door

With no successor now lined up to take outgoing CEO Steve Ballmer’s place, Microsoft faces a danger that many employees will run for the exits while the future of the company is still up in the air. Bloomberg reports that Microsoft “is telling employees that a reorganization plan by departing Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer will go ahead, seeking to reassure senior managers who are concerned that the search for a successor will throw turnaround efforts into disarray.” This means that Microsoft will continue to follow Ballmer’s blueprint for transforming the company into a more cohesive unit that focusses on devices and services no matter whom the company eventually appoints as its next chief executive.