I’ve written some more philosophical posts over the last few weeks. I decided to return to some basic best practices that can make you a more effective technical leader in your role today. One common problem in almost every organization is ineffective meetings. Here’s a simple tactic that can make any meeting more effective.

I mentioned last week that I found myself in the middle of the fires that have destroyed so many homes in Northern California. The experience has had an impact on me. Not only looking at priorities. Also thinking about impermanence. What can we make of our efforts when we know nothing lasts forever?

I woke up Monday morning in Northern California with a call from my sister saying wildfires were threatening. Her neighbor knocked on her door and said “Be prepared to evacuate.” Neither of us realized that fires were so close, and overnight the fire grew five times in size from the high winds. In a moment of crisis where people are evacuating and losing their homes, I think about prioritization.

What is the most common mistake made by new technical managers? I recently read an article saying the #1 mistake was not focusing on relationships. Relationships are important. The first mistake I often see is more fundamental.

The language in a memo from new Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has been hailed as setting the tone for his leadership. In particular, this memo has been used to highlight being vulnerable as a part of leading. How can you use vulnerability and risk-taking to grow as a leader?

I was reading an article summarizing the important work someone had done during his tenure as a leader. I was struck by how poorly the article communicated impact. Learn to communicate impact as a technical leader. 

The recent stories of people helping one another during hurricane Harvey are moving examples of helping one another. Even just a cot to sleep in a dry emergency center can make a big difference. We aren’t limited to helping during times of crisis. When you offer to help someone else you can strengthen your relationship and reap the personal satisfaction of giving.

I noticed a difference in Japan with how folks performed in their jobs. Especially the most mundane jobs. It seemed to me that most people took their job seriously, and performed it to the best of their ability. Even in cases where the job they had wasn’t the most glamorous. I observed workers investing themselves fully in their work. You can use this tactic to stand out regardless of your job.

One of the experiences I have when I’m traveling is an enhanced focus on being present. I can often be preoccupied with what comes next. There have been times when I am overly attached to following the plan. During my recent trip to Japan, I found myself better focusing on the present and letting go of my plan. 

I recently got to take a trip to Japan for two weeks, and there was a stark difference between the Japanese culture I experienced and what I am used to every day in the US. The experience got me to thinking about what makes up culture.  Are you setting your culture effectively?

More often than you think, you are making decisions about accepting work in your job. Have you ever asked yourself if the new job or new work you are about to accept will be fun? If your work is fun, and the people you work with are fun, it can make a lot of things about the job better. 

As a technical leader you are more likely to not have clear direction on your priorities and tasks. You are in a role where you give direction and priorities. As an executive, reporting to other executives, the detailed kind of priorities and instruction you got in more junior roles fall away. It is important not to slow-down in the face of the increased uncertainty.

In any technical leadership role, you are only temporary. That concept helps frame the importance of spending time on only those most important things. Only things you can do. When you delegate some of your work to others on your team, you develop their capability to carry on without you (and establish a powerful relationship as a leader).

As technical leaders, our job is very often to convince others of something. As you consider these goals, it is important to evaluate your actions through the lens of those you want to convince. What you would want to hear is often different than what will be convincing for others.

When we think of prioritization or focus, we often think of making a list. Perhaps prioritizing that list and asking ourselves what we tasks we want to be sure we do. When was the last time you asked what you should stop doing?

It is natural to manage with assumptions about your team, your peers and your boss. We have blind spots in our assumptions. Our blind spots are often easier to see when we put ourselves in the other persons’ position. 

Signal to noise: a measure of how much useful information there is in a system, such as the Internet, as a proportion of the entire contents. The tactic of narrowing down your focus, and eliminating the noise, will fundamentally increase the signal on your productivity. 

Do you ever feel like work owns you, whether because they give you a large salary or good benefits? Have you had a job where you didn't feel that work had a claim on your entire world? How can you get the balance of not feeling owned, regardless of the responsibility, salary or benefits.

I have found effective prioritization as a key to success as my world has become more and more complicated. As you become more senior in you organization, it will be incumbent on you to choose where you spend time. I have found a simple bullseye as an effective tool for prioritization.

Whether in individual conversations or larger meetings, there is value in leaving space for the unknown. Leave time for questions and observations that will surprise you.