This is a work in progress. I will be updating in perpetuity.
Sometimes working for a new manager can create stress and a lot of uncertainty. We need to define our working relationship and this is a basic readme on me and how I work. It captures a bit about me personally, what you can expect from me, what I value, what my priorities are, and…let’s call it…idiosyncrasies.
My role is to help you be successful first and foremost. There are obviously organizational objectives, but those will come and go. Helping you will not move from my top focus. Some of the things you can expect/demand from me:
- Providing clear vision and direction for your work.
- Providing regular feedback on you and your work.
- Help you plan your career.
- Help you grow as an engineer, worker, and person.
- Regular 1x1s (weekly or bi-weekly depending your preference).
Person is the priority: I believe that if you take care of people all other things will follow.
Engineers build the future: I love engineers, I think they are the backbone of this incredible ride we are on and are the reason our lives are so much more fantastic than they have ever been in history. Almost everything I do will be to help engineers do their thing more effectively.
Teams Build Championships: Sorry, my juvenile days of sports obsession got the better of me there. It’s true though, I don’t believe in superstars, teams are what make things happen. I will focus on helping the team be successful and helping you find your place in the group. If you style yourself a superstar and expect to treat the rest of the team like less than you, I’m not the boss for you.
Say what you mean, mean what you say: I cannot stand people that don’t operate with integrity. This manifests itself in outright lies, or minor things like not showing up where you said you would be (on time), and everything in between. If you operate in an open, honest, and forthright manner, no matter how much I might disagree with your opinions, we’ll always get along, and you’ll have my respect.
Always be learning: Be humble, no matter how much you know, there’s more to learn. Seek out new ideas, play with them, test them against what you already think/believe, and incorporate them if worthwhile.
I am big on asynchronous communication. Synchronous Communication (aka meetings/phone calls) are important for a few scenarios, namely ‘social time / getting to know people’, ‘brainstorming’, ‘sensitive topics where non-verbals are key to communication’, but I prefer to default to async.
With that said, here are my patterns and comments on typical channels:
Emails should be concise and be clear about what you are trying to accomplish. Is it an FYI, are you asking for me to do something, or are you asking for feedback? Make it clear and actionable, please. I typically will respond within 90mins during business hours. If I don’t respond within 36hrs (not including the weekend), assume I missed it and follow up with me. Note: I’m not excusing missing it, but if it’s important that I address or see something, don’t let my miss slow things down.
I include all kinds of text messaging in this. SMS, What’s App, Slack, etc. Although we’ll probably use Slack the most. This does not need to be as formal as email, I’m very conversational on Slack, and will usually maintain running conversations all day with multiple people. It’s my favorite way of communicating.
Reach out on Slack, early and often, and same rules as email. If you need something, and I haven’t responded, ping me again. “Bump” is sufficient. How quickly you need to do that is up to your discretion, it should be based upon the urgency of your request. ie. if you need any answer in the meeting you’re in…say that “It would be good if we can answer this in the next 8mins”.
When in doubt, just slack me.
This is the gold standard of communication. Whether you’re doing it in a repo or on a wiki/notebook, whatever. Sitting down and writing out your thoughts on a topic or to document something is the BEST and most efficient way to communicate. I will expect you to be a proficient writer, and I will push you to be better at it.
I will try to write things up in long form as much as possible, and I encourage you to do the same.
NOTE: Don’t do this in email! You won’t get anywhere near as much comprehension, and you can’t edit an email once it’s been sent.
Let’s see…a little about me.
- I like to say, I grew up in Texas and went to school in Minnesota, this is an over simplification, but its the gist.
- I’m married to a gem of a woman, and we have two little girls together that are wild, amazing, and the best part of my day.
- I live in the Charlotte, NC area, and have since 2008. I think CLT is about to enter its prime and I’m excited to be here.
- I went to school for Business, but have always loved technology, and started a web consultancy after college.
- I have no hobbies, its a problem…JK…kind of…I really love tech, so I tinker a lot with it more than I need to for work, and I have a wife and two small kids. People that have time for other stuff make no sense to me, they must have time machines, that’s my only explanation.
I can ramble at bit, especially when I get excited about something. It’s a problem, I try to reign it in, and I’m usually successful, but sometimes you might need to help me realize I’m boring you to tears.
I’m intense, some people like that, some people don’t. I try to cater how much intensity I display to the person I’m interacting with, but that’s not a perfect system. If I make you uncomfortable, I’m sorry, it’s not intentional, and I will try and correct it.
I will challenge you. It doesn’t mean I don’t think you’re smart/good/etc. I’m just pressure testing your thinking. If we are discussing a topic and you believe you’re right, stick to your guns, don’t overreact to being challenged.