Hold Your Fire

There's something about getting older. I choose my battles. I pick what I want to focus on. I select what I care about.

I saw an interview from a few years back with Tyler the Creator and he phrased it so interestingly. He said, "You become more of a sniper with things." Meaning, instead of just shooting at everything or delivering brute force or overwhelming force, you work on exactly the thing you want to look at, and ignore the rest.

I think there's wisdom with that idea: being more of a sniper with where you spend your energy.

It's Easy to Get Lost in the Crowd

At work, there's what's important and there's noise. If I asked every single person in the company, I'm pretty sure 90+ percent of people would be able to articulate well enough what's important. They might miss a nuance here or there, but it's clear what our mission is, and we spend a good part of every year repeating how we want to go about doing what needs doing.

Individually, too, I would say most people know what's important to the company. I don't know, however, if they know what might be important to them. It's so easy to get lost in the noise. Especially when we look around at others and "what's happening over there" and all that.

What's the sniper view?

• We make things. Makers should make them, and make them better.
• We sell things (through partners). Let's make it easier for partners to sell what we make.
• We support the teams that make and sell. Let's reduce friction and streamline processes, augment what those make/sell people need.

How do you get ahead at work? You do any one of these three things well. Everything else is noise or nuance.

Do the Thing

I write books sometimes. I'll probably do some more of that at some point soon. (Feeling the itch.) When I read leadership books, they're full to the top with all kinds of ideas and processes and steps and patterns. Cool. But you know what they're telling you? Do the thing.

I mean, there's a bit more to it, sure. Get better at doing the thing. There. That's the other part. See if "the thing" has changed. That's part of it.

We can add more "the thing" adjacent work, I guess. But ultimately? It's about doing the thing.

But the Rumors, Chris

I used to be a full time keeper of the rumor mill. Oh wow, I knew the whole pulse of the company where I used to work. Know where it got me? Stuck in place. I didn't advance my career for years, because instead of doing the thing, I was keeping up with who did what and said which to where, and what MIGHT happen. Speculation. Petty squabbles. That used to be far more interesting than pushing software out to remote sites.

There's always some truth to every rumor. There's always lots of falseness to many rumors. Most rumors do nothing useful. I really wanted to believe some of the rumors earlier this year, but I just looked out in my empty stable and... still no rumors have turned to truth. Nay. Not even a lonely piece of hay.

Rumors are stupid and they get in the way.

Hold your fire. Be selective. Do the thing.

I wrote this for you, even if you don't want to agree with me.

Chris...