Hi there! I’m Scott, and if you’re reading this, we’re probably going to be working together in the near future.
I wrote this Manager Readme to introduce myself and my perspective so we can have a positive, productive working relationship starting on Day 1. This won’t replace actually getting to know me, but that’s okay - I want to get to know you, too, and we’ll hash that out once we start working together. I hope you like coffee and/or tea!
With that said, if the Scott documented here isn’t the Scott you come to know, please tell me; people change, and sometimes documentation becomes obsolete.
I’m a firm believer in Servant Leadership. Tl;dr: I’m here to help you in whatever way(s) you need. I also have some responsibilities related to my role. These are the areas where I’ll spend my time:
We’re all learning and changing over time, and your personal/professional growth is the most important aspect of our working relationship. There is no better use of my time than helping you achieve your goals.
Our time is limited, and there’s only so much any one of us can do in a day. Growing the team is therefore necessary to increasing our velocity as an engineering organization. Together, we’ll attract great people to our team and work to keep them as our teammates. We'll strive for a team of top talent with breadth of experience, depth of expertise, and the drive to step in when needed. These attributes are paramount to our team’s success.
Like you, I’m here to help deliver the best experience for our customers. My role in this mission is to provide an environment which helps you do your best work. Whether that’s a distraction-free workspace, better coffee, or a thoughtfully composed plan of record, I’ll find room for improvement and improve the room.
To me, success is managing myself out of my role. I’ve stepped aside before to
provide a teammate with an opportunity to lead a team in a safe environment, and
I’d do it again. We’ll know progress has been made if I can take a month off to
hermit vacation without issue.
More personally, I consider myself successful if you think I’m the best manager you’ve had. If I am, great! If not, then clearly there’s something on which I could improve, and I would appreciate your candid feedback to fix the glitch.
A collection of fundamental beliefs which characterize my “management style”. These are axiomatic for me - but remember, our relationship will always be flexible to your needs.
Happy people are productive people. I believe if we cultivate a positive environment in which we find fulfillment, each of us will gladly put forward our best work, and do so consistently over time. I appreciate those who bring out positivity and optimism in others, and though we'll sometimes falter, a mutually supportive team can easily recover from moments when we aren’t at our best.
I commit to promoting a happy workplace - and listening when you feel unhappy, so we can work together to fix it.
A culture of candor is critical in creating a safe environment where the mild to moderate stress of everyday work can be alleviated in a healthy way. After all, unmanaged chronic work stress is a key contributor to burnout. It’s also the most important requirement of growth, as positive constructive feedback is necessary to learn and improve. Especially in the tech industry, where imposter syndrome is prevalent, promoting this culture creates a safe space to learn without having to “fake it ‘till you make it”. It’s okay to say you don’t know, and it’s okay to acknowledge your limitations; that understanding alone is the first step in surpassing them.
I commit to supporting an environment where you feel safe expressing your opinion, and in particular discussing any topic with me.
There are many different interpretations of this, and I encourage you to find a perspective with which you agree. Apple calls it Directly Responsible Individual; others subscribe to Extreme Ownership. To me, it’s taking responsibility for your actions and contributions. I will support you at all times regardless of outcome as long as we hold ourselves accountable. That goes for me, as well - keep me honest and I promise gratitude in return!
I commit to taking ownership of my actions and words, and being receptive to feedback on the same.
A corollary to honesty, but worth noting separately. Managing expectations goes a long way to effective, honest communication. Worried you’ll slip a deadline? Let me know - better to know ahead of time than suddenly be surprised at the last minute, and we can work on Plan B. Likewise, I’ll strive to be clear with you. Should I not live up to this expectation, I hope you’ll kindly but firmly demand I do better.
I commit to clearly communicating expectations you’ve set for me and I’ve set for you.
There’s a difference between “being right” and “having an answer”; the former is an assertion, while the latter is subject to change depending on the available information. Amazon calls this “Are Right, A Lot”, while others refer to it as “data driven decision making”. I see it as “today’s solution is only as good as today’s information”, and we should regularly revisit our decisions when new information comes to light.
I commit to always seeking truth and accepting contrary viewpoints as refinements to our collective wisdom.
We’re going to be spending a lot of time working together, and it’s important we do so as a team. We support each other through all challenges and celebrate our successes. We help each other when needed and encourage each other when appropriate. Most importantly, we respect one another. Whether we agree or not, we commit to working together positively and productively.
I commit to working with you collaboratively, professionally, and above all respectfully, as well as maintaining a company culture of the same.
Time is our most precious commodity. My fascination with time travel science fiction aside, we only have so much to spend. Here’s how I choose to use it:
Without hesitation or caveat, this is the most worthwhile use of my time - whether or not we currently work together. They are an opportunity to learn from each other and provide feedback. They are not a time to do a status update. The focus is on you and any topics or questions you’d like to talk about. If you come prepared with an agenda, I’ll take notes and share them with you. Or we can just grab a $caffeine_drink_of_choice and wax philosophical, if you’d prefer. I’m flexible - this is your time to use as you’d like!
Once in a while (particularly if you don’t have topics you’d like to discuss), I’ll ask you for feedback on how I’m doing and where I can improve. I’d appreciate your candor and constructive feedback, and our 1-1s should be a safe space for you to talk to me. If they’re not, please report me to my manager immediately!
Meetings are a dedicated block of time for attendees to give their undivided attention. As an organizer, I commit to the following; as an attendee, I ask these of scheduled meetings:
- Meetings should have a clear purpose (e.g. an agenda) and defined outcomes
- Meetings should start on time
- If the intended goal of a meeting is accomplished ahead of schedule, give the time back
Good communication is crucial to software engineering on a team - often more important than technical ability! In an effort to use our limited time communicating efficiently, I have a few requests:
- Be clear and concise. Excessively frivolous language with unusual wording is often not the most appropriate way to drive your point home with your audience (or: “extra words don’t aid understanding”). I’m guilty of this. Let me know when I do it.
- Set context. “We need to talk” is code for “I’m going to quit”, whereas “we need to talk about XYZ” is code for “we need to talk about XYZ”.
- Tell me when you want my input. I’m not a telepath and can’t tell what you’re thinking... most of the time.
I always appreciate feedback and will provide it when appropriate - both encouragement and constructive suggestions. I prefer publicly celebrating success and privately discussing concerns; I’m also happy to cater to your preference if the limelight isn’t your cup of tea. I firmly believe in the Three Requirements of Good Feedback:
- Low effort. Feedback should be easy to give.
- High safety. You should feel comfortable giving the feedback.
- Meaningful benefit. Feedback should be constructive if critical; destructive criticism helps no one.
Process should empower, not impair. I’m new here and don’t know how we work together yet. We’ll figure it out as we go and try new things to see what works. If it helps, great! If not, back to the drawing board. In my experience, the “best process” is team-dependent.
You’re probably pretty good at your job; that’s why you’re here! I strongly suspect you’re better at your job than I am (or will be, soon enough). Therefore, I trust you to do your job to the best of your ability, and I’ll provide assistance where requested. My job is to help you do your job - just let me know when I can help!
I may ask questions to help me understand what you’re doing and why, and I may
even play devil’s advocate; but I seek knowledge, not compliance. If you don’t
regularly push back, I’ll assume I’m omniscient and declare myself Emperor
you don’t feel safe enough to ask the hard questions or answer with the hard
truth.
AKA Quirks, flaws, character traits, and other FYIs.
I have a set of rules to live by that I reference often. Though I quote them in jest, I abide by them at all times. You’re not required to follow them, though I think they’re great advice. No bias.
- No Dying. They’re rules of living, after all.
- Always Double Tap. Every zombie movie features one hapless survivor dying to a zombie they thought they’d downed. Don’t fall victim to failure by not double checking!
- Don’t Panic. Sage words from Douglas Adams.
- Stick to the Plan. Especially when things aren’t going well. You did add contingencies to your plan, right?
- @#$% Yeah - or No. Either agree and commit with enthusiasm, or decline - going with the flow can only get you so far.
- Do the Right Thing Now. The best time to take action was when you first realized what must be done. The second best time is right now.
I swear often. I’m working on using more professional language, and it has been getting better. I apologize in advance if this makes you uncomfortable - please let me know if this is the case and I’ll put additional effort into filtering my language with you.
Sometimes I speak with the Voice of Authority™ and give the impression there is no room for debate. There is always room for debate. I am aware of this flaw, and though I am improving my phrasing to encourage conversation, it’s still a work in progress. I’d appreciate if you’d push back and engage in discussion with me.
... is a well-trained but ultimately unnatural behavior for me. If you’re an introvert and want some peace, believe me - I understand.
Mine is terrible. I write everything down. Don’t panic if when you see me do
this - they’re reminders to Future Scott. I’ll show you my notes if you ask.
Clinically diagnosed, ten years running. I’ve learned to keep up appearances like I’m a functional human when I’m running on fumes. Caffeine does wonders, but I’ll let you know when my full faculties are Out of Order.
A workplace without fun is no place to be. All work and no play makes Jack Scott a dull boy.
Time is valuable. Was reading this document time well spent? Send me feedback! Be honest - I can’t fix it if I don’t know what could be improved.