Making what you have enough: Navigating the realities of the non-boom market

Certain professions like farming are accustomed to navigating changing seasons.

Times of planting, times of bountiful harvests and times of famine. The history of the computing technology industry is no different. We have had times of booms, and non-boom. As leaders we need to be prepared with tools to help us navigate the uncertainty in the current non-boom market. These tools are also needed to help our engineering teams thrive at this time. Given that there’s no time limit on the current non-boom market, we need to lean into this moment of adversity and not be quick to dismiss it, dreaming that the moment passes quickly. There are three questions that I frequently ask myself that help keep me and my teams grounded. 

1. What do you have in your hands? What you have in your hands comprises all the resources available to you: people, expertise, budget. Focusing on what you have helps build contentment and helps us come to the realization that you likely have more than you think. This was a lesson I learnt from the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown when I could no longer exercise at a public location but needed to use very basic equipment that I had at home. The limitation urged me to find creative new exercises.
2. What is the main thing? Help your teams create ruthless focus on the most important things. Although we do not have the luxury of only focusing on one thing, going through the exercise of prioritizing responsibilities and deliverables helps reorient ourselves and our teams.
3. What is in the way of each person? Each team member is a unique individual with their aspirations. Understanding how each team member is doing, on a personal level, creates the opportunity to support them through their individual challenges.