When it comes to company All Hands meetings—especially those focused on larger business goals or strategies—developers often react with indifference. Comments like, “Just give me tickets and let me code,” or “It’s just exec speak; I’m not interested,” are all too common.
As a new developer, I remember feeling the same way. The business side of things felt distant and disconnected from my day-to-day tasks. It was hard to see how these grand initiatives translated to my keyboard or my assigned Jira tasks. But looking back, I wonder—what do we lose when we dismiss that broader context? And are business leaders missing an opportunity to engage their entire workforce by failing to connect these ideas to everyone?
Recently, my company held its 2025 Kickoff event. For the second year, the event was open to the entire organization, not just senior leadership, client-facing teams, or Product. Last year, I missed it because I was seven months pregnant and reluctant to be in a crowded space. This year, I finally got to sit in the audience.
I’ll admit—I really liked what I heard. The speakers shared important context, background, and insights. Having previously worked in healthcare, staying connected to the impact our products have on providers and patients is deeply meaningful to me. The executive and Product teams’ discussions helped me stay grounded in our mission to make a positive impact in the world.
I also gained a clearer understanding of how my team’s work aligns with the company’s larger vision. Seeing that connection reinvigorated my sense of purpose. As an engineering manager, I hope my team took away similar insights, and I plan to follow up in one-on-one meetings to reinforce our mission, vision, and goals. We’ll also revisit these ideas at our next department All Hands meeting.
The Silicon Valley Product Group introduced me to the concept of “Missionaries, not Mercenaries”, and it comes to mind thinking about the importance of that broader business context. The essence of this idea is captured perfectly in the article:
“Teams of missionaries are engaged, motivated, have a deep understanding of the business context, and tangible empathy for the customer. Teams of mercenaries feel no real sense of empowerment or accountability, no passion for the problem to be solved, and little real connection with the actual users and customers.”
When senior leadership clearly defines the organization’s mission, and employees are open to listening, the result is a highly engaged, motivated team ready to deliver exceptional value to users.
I’m fortunate to lead a team that genuinely understands our mission and user base. Sure, there are sprints when we just need to power through the backlog. That’s part of the job. But the moments that leave me energized are when my team asks questions like, “What about our users who don’t have internet access at work?” or, “How can we make this process simpler for a particular group of users?”
Developers are natural problem solvers. Leaders, let’s not underestimate the value of involving them in the bigger conversations. When they understand the broader business context, their creativity can lead to extraordinary ideas. And developers, let’s take the time to listen to our leaders—it might just open doors to new ways of thinking and problem-solving.
What’s your experience with connecting your work to the broader company mission? Whether you’re a leader or an individual contributor, share your thoughts or strategies in the comments—I’d love to hear them!