Manager README
My Goal
As a Director of Enginering at Kapost, my job is to
- Build good relationship with each member of my team(s)
- Provide context and priority
- Remove roadblocks so that you can do your best work
I work to build deep, trusting relationships with the members of my team. I care about you as a person just as much as I care about the work you’re doing.
I try to never micro-manage by telling you what to do, or how to do it. I’m happy to share my opinions, but I default to asking questions to help guide your thinking. I’ve heard it said that people need to hear things up to 7 times before they will really undertand what is being said. So, you’ll probably hear me repeating things. This is my attempt to share context and priority instead of micro-manage.
If something is blocking you from doing your best work, please tell me. If I can do something to help you do your best work, please tell me. If you don’t like the work you’re doing, please tell me. I can’t fix what I don’t know.
What I Value
Honesty - I will be honest with you, and I expect the same. Dishonestly will quickly erode our trust.
Humility - We are all smart, but there is always something more we can learn from those around us.
Kindness - As Rands says, “Be Unfailingly Kind”.
Availability
My schedule is typically busy, but I will always make time to talk.
All I need is your best 40 hours. I don’t want any more than that. When you are not working, enjoy your life outside of work. This includes taking vacations and days off frequently.
One-on-ones (1:1)
I like to have weekly 1:1s that are at least 30 minutes long. 1:1s are the most important thing I do each week. I will never cancel and rarely reschedule our 1:1, unless one of us is out for the week.
I will setup our 1:1 on the calendar so that you can modify it. If you need to move it to a time that’s better for you, please do.
I prefer 1:1s to be driven by you. Come prepared to talk about the things that are most important to you. I like it when the topics aren’t status updates (we have Jira, standups, etc. for that), but will happily talk about status if that’s what you want to talk about. Instead, I really like to talk about the deeper stuff - the stuff you’d be afraid to say if you knew others were listening.
My goal in 1:1s is to collect as much signal as I can. I approach this by asking a lot of questions. I then process all the signals and look for the most important thing I can work on changing.
Feedback
Feedback is a huge part of growing, as an individual as well as a professional. I will seek to give you timely feedback, and have found the situation-behavior-impact model to be very effective.
Acting on every bit of feedback you receive isn’t necessary. Instead process it, and decide for yourself when and how to implement changes. If I think feedback needs to be acted on immediately, I will tell you.
I believe that I am probably wrong, most of the time. I am okay being told, or discovering, that I was wrong. I try to create an environment where it’s okay to be wrong, to fail, to make mistakes. This is how we grow.
Performance
My goal is that we are always on the same page regarding your performance. If you feel unsure, please ask!
I work on a green/yellow/red system. If I haven’t told you otherwise, you are in the green.
Green - You’re doing good, great, exceptional. There still might be areas of improvement, but you’re getting the job done and working well with your team.
Yellow - There are one or more things that, if not improved, are unsustainable.
Red - There is a significant problem that won’t be tollerated for much longer. You need to identify a series of steps, and a timeframe, to get it fixed. We will talk about and agree on both of these, in writing, and will likely involve HR in the process.
What Frustrates Me
I have a strong bias towards action. I’m happy to brainstorm ideas and solutions, but at some point I will get frustrated if we don’t pick a path forward and try it. I think the best way to learn is to try, and the best way to imporove is through small steps.
Speaking poorly about others. We all have bad days; we all have a story that has shaped who we are; we are all imperfect. We should value each other as human beings and embrace and celebrate our diversity and differences.
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This was inspired by many engineering leaders that are much further down the road than I am, and who I aspire to be like.