communication & collaboration
Communication is the most underestimated leadership skill in tech - and also the most impactful. It’s not just about transmitting information; it’s about building trust, preventing chaos, and moving fast together. Poor communication doesn’t show up on your roadmap, but it silently delays launches, derails alignment, and erodes morale.
Start with responsiveness. A 24-hour SLA - especially during business hours - is not just polite; it’s foundational. In our hyper-connected world, silence is ambiguity. A late reply can be misread as confusion, disregard, or even passive resistance. Even a quick “Heads up, I’ll reply by Monday” can eliminate misinterpretations and keep momentum alive. One small delay might seem harmless - but scale it across a company and you get stalled projects and frayed relationships.
Use the right channels. Slack signals urgency. Email is for reflection. Voice or video for nuance. Call if it’s burning. Some messages need a face; others need a paper trail. Avoid context-switching chaos by not replying to every ping instantly - preserve your focus time. Learn your rhythm and set expectations with your team.
Clarity is your superpower. Write with intent. Read thoroughly before responding. Trim the fluff. Precision builds velocity. But don’t swing too far into brevity - especially in remote work, overcommunicating is often safer than undercommunicating. Ambiguity is expensive. Be explicit, not assumed.
Great communication adapts to the audience. Are you speaking to peers, executives, or someone new? Do they need context or just decisions? Adjust tone, depth, and format to match. Emojis can soften tone; a thoughtful rewording can prevent misinterpretation. Be mindful - what’s obvious to you might be counterintuitive to others.
The best communicators are the best listeners. Listening isn't about waiting for your turn - it’s about letting go of your idea temporarily to truly hear someone else’s. Practice intentional listening. Seek to understand before persuading. Especially in disagreements.
Hard conversations require courage, not ego. Avoiding them never ends well. Speak directly, respectfully, and with intent to solve, not punish. Invite others when needed - whether it’s HR for sensitive topics, or a domain expert to avoid spinning wheels in yet another meeting.
Stay connected to key people. Relationships don’t run on autopilot. Use recurring 1:1s with your team, peers, and manager as a low-friction way to stay in sync. Don’t over-schedule - but don’t assume “we’ll talk when needed” will magically happen. When a 1:1 becomes empty twice in a row, adjust the cadence.
Define roles in every collaboration clearly. Assumptions are dangerous. Write it down. Reconfirm in meetings. Make ownership visible.
And yes - about meetings. They are both the biggest enabler and the biggest time sink. Make them count. Share agendas in advance. Invite the fewest necessary. Timebox ruthlessly. Respect people's time like it’s your own. If you're invited, respond - don’t leave others guessing. Speak, but don’t dominate. Listen, especially to quiet voices. Debate hard, but once a decision is made - disagree and commit.
Communication is not about saying more. It’s about making what you say matter. Collaboration is not about working together - it’s about winning together.