I spent a couple of days in the office this week. Although I work mostly remotely, it’s not unusual for me to spend some time in the office each month. Despite being a huge advocate for remote working, having done so for coming up on 12 years, I still highly value the experience that only comes with spending time together in person.
This week was one of those weeks that really drives home why the personal connection matters.
Strategy, Autonomy, and Trust
This week was our company-wide strategy week. We shared our business goals for the next 18 months and how they translate into H1 OKRs for our cross-functional teams.
Something I’m particularly excited about is the level of autonomy our teams now have. We haven’t given them a roadmap; we handed them objectives. They have defined the key results and have full autonomy on how to achieve them. The quality of thinking and ownership on display this week made it clear that this trust is well placed.
Audacious Quality Goals
I’m taking the same approach with my direct team. We set some audacious quality-driven goals for the department.
Why audacious? As a business, we have streamlined our OKRs to maintain a laser focus. When setting goals for the Quality team, I needed something inspirational that wouldn’t get confused with those overarching Business OKRs.
That’s where Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs) come into play. BHAGs put a rocket under our ambition — bold, long-term goals designed to force step-change thinking and deliver significant impact. The concept fits perfectly with our aspirations for the department while remaining distinct from OKRs, so there is no confusion over priority.
With BHAGs, I’m guiding them to the problems and providing the required support, but the wins will be theirs. It has been fabulous to see how motivated the team is by this ownership. We already have clear plans in motion, and where learning and experimentation are needed, solid hypotheses to test before committing to a direction. It is great to see the team so engaged and making such good progress so early on.
Culture and Connection
We wrapped up strategy week with an in-person workshop. We reflected on the strategy presentations, discussed common themes, and then moved into an exercise focused on our culture. What stood out most was the passion and creativity of our teams. The discussions and outputs were thoughtful, insightful, and genuinely useful. They’ll help us evolve our company values so they remain relevant, not just to where the business is going, but to the people who work here.
On a personal note, my wife and son were able to join me in Brighton for a few days. It was lovely to share what I love about the city with them. It is such a vibrant place, and being coastal is a huge plus for my wife. I also got to introduce them to some of my colleagues; some my wife has “known” for many years but had never had the opportunity to meet until this week.
Speaking Opportunities
As well as all the excitement that came from strategy week and being in Brighton, there was even more good news. I had exciting conversations about future speaking engagements:
- One with an organisation keen for me to speak at their Quality town hall about implementing a quality engineering approach.
- Another confirming a speaking slot for me at a conference – I can’t share details of which one just yet, but I am very excited to be part of!
Reflecting on the week
This trip was a reminder that the value of in-person connection is often amplified because it is infrequent. When coming together is an intentional event rather than a daily default, the energy is higher, the focus is sharper, and the time together simply counts for more.
Progress, clarity, creativity, in-person connection, and a bit of family time too.
More weeks like this, please.
Further reading
If you enjoyed this post then be sure to check out my other posts on Engineering Leadership.
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