Case Studies
I presented about a near recent experience in a work place project last year.
Some people in the tech industry don’t enjoy going to conferences. They feel they don’t get any value out of them. Sometimes, they also don’t feel the need for networking. Unfortunately, there are quite a few out there, where there are numerous product pitches or similar marketing stunts setup as ‘talks’.
As I have started presenting at various conferences, my aim is to help eliminate the above thought-process in individuals.
I personally goto conferences to learn how to solve specific problems related to my field and how people have solved them; what methodologies they used and how did the look to implement them. The implementation is what helps fellow peers to improve or tackle the issues they are facing.
So when I formulate my talks, I talk more about personal experiences and stories. I call these ‘Case Studies’.
I create the flow of the talk as:
- what is the problem
- how does it relate (or not) with my role
- what were the first steps I took to tackle the issue
- who inspired me
- who supported me
- what were the hurdles
- how did I bring my team(s) on the journey
- what were the results
- what would I do differently if I saw the same issue again
Sometimes, the feedback I get from these conversations on how someone else in the audience solved the same problem. Sometimes, the feedback is around how I was allowed to solve a problem which was beyond the remit of my role.
Most issues I face in my role are usually not directly affecting myself. But they ARE almost always affecting the team.
As a manager, I feel my first and foremost responsibility is to help people enable do what they do best. This is what leadership is all about. Encouraging teams to work together and removing issues which slow them down.
The few talks I am doing this year are:
Maryam Umar 