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Writer's picturePier Martin

Leading Through Context: Aligning Tech Teams Up and Down

Yesterday we spoke about "Management by Objectives" and today, we dive deeper in "Getting Context!"


As a tech leader, ensuring your teams have the proper context to do their best work is critical for success. I can't count the number of times where I've been given a project like "We need you to do X and Y" without the context and ultimately, it would have failed if I didn't follow the steps below.


There are two key components to context - from above and then passing it down. Let's dive into it.


Getting Context From Above

First, you need to make sure you understand the broader objectives and rationale behind initiatives from your own leadership. If you don't know them, you need to find out otherwise you won't be able to use the Management by Objectives (MBO) framework for goals.

  1. Ask Clarifying Questions - "What's the core user problem we're solving here?" "How does this tie into our platform vision for next year?"

  2. Request Background - Study strategy docs, competitive analyses, previous project histories, etc. Get documents to help YOU understand the objectives

  3. Discuss Success Criteria - "What metrics will define whether we achieved the goals? What qualitative outcomes are we targeting?"


Providing Context To Your Teams

Once you have the context, it's now important to add your technical knowledge, expertise and understanding to translate this into something that will resonate with your team:

  1. Repackage and Resocialize - Don't just pass instructions down. Reframe the "why" behind the "what" in team meetings, documentation, 1-on-1s.

  2. Discuss Implications - "If we nail this, we could expand into the enterprise segment by Q4."

  3. Capture Queries - Create forums for your team to voice questions, concerns, ideas. Fill any remaining context gaps.

  4. Align Ownership - Map out how each team/role will contribute to the objectives. Clearly define dependencies.

    1. Example: When we were asked to replatform our scheduling from Airflow to Cloud Composer, I dug into the architecture plans to understand the modernization benefits. I shared the complexity drivers we were addressing, the bold 4-month scaling vision, and rallied each team's part in getting us there.


Without context, our teams are just churning out code. But wrapped in the right context, that work takes on much greater meaning and purpose.


Are you obsessive about driving context?


✍️ Did I get this wrong or right?

♻️ Reshare if this applies to you!

📞 Reach out if you need a coach who can help you become the best you can be!

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