My readme.MD

Over the past several years, as I've stepped into more and more leadership roles in engineering, I realized that people can't read my mind (and I can't read theirs)!  As silly as this sounds, I was surprised to see how often I assumed people knew what I expected them to do, and vice versa.  Outside of just work expectations, I realized that people also didn't know how I like to communicate.  So I decided to make this README.MD file for all of my current, and future, team mates.

The Job

• At the end of the day, this is why we're all here - to do the job!  If you're a software engineer, your job is to write and maintain the code.  If you're a devops engineer, your job is the infrastructure.  If you're a people manager, your job is your team.  And so on.
• Above all else, I expect every person on the team to own their work - completely!  As soon as you are given a task, it's yours until it's done (as defined by the team's definition of done).  From writing the code, to managing code reviews, to delivery - you own it.

Our Relationship

• You should expect me to have your back 100% of the time.  I strongly believe that we are all in the same team moving forward to achieve a common goal.  With that, we win and lose together.
• I expect you to be a better coder than me.  If you're not, then I encourage you to be.  However, I do expect to be consulted, or at least informed, about all major technical decisions we make.  This is strictly for information sharing and allows me the opportunity to ask questions that may not have been considered.
• Respect everyone's time.  I expect everyone to show up to meetings that they've agreed to attend (in person or remote).  If you can't make it, that's completely fine - but let people know well in advance so that they can adjust.

1-1's

• I can't stress this enough: these meetings are for you!  We both manage the agenda, but it is primarily yours to drive.  If you want to discuss projects and statuses, I'm more than happy to do so - and sometimes we will end up doing that.  But otherwise, I want this time to learn more about you, what's on your mind and how I can help.
• I will track and document what we talk about and create actionable tasks, if necessary.  We will both have access to this document and can hold each other accountable for our work.

Feedback

• My aim is to deliver feedback to you as soon as I can.  If it warrants any corrective actions, I will aim to provide at least one suggestion for improvement.  Otherwise, I expect you to determine the way in which you can act on the feedback and make improvements.
• This is a two-way street.  If you have feedback for me, I expect to hear it as soon as possible.  My job is to help you and the team succeed, and I can't do that if I don't know where I'm failing you.  You should hold me accountable.
• The medium for how to communicate feedback should be established with me.  I like to hear critical feedback in private, with a face-to-face conversation.  If you prefer something different (e-mail, slack, coffee walk, etc), please let me know.
• I expect critical feedback to be delivered in a respectful and constructive manner.  The goal of any critical feedback is self improvement.  The same goes for me as I promise to actively listen and respond to all feedback that I receive.
• Team alignment is key.  If you are ever unsure about how any of the work you're doing contributes to the larger company goal, please let me know!  The best way to move forward is to make sure we're working towards a single mission.  My job is to make sure you know what that mission is and to connect your work to it.

Communication

• I am pretty open about sharing things about my work and life, but don't expect that from you.  What I do expect is that if there are any issues or concerns, you let me know as soon as possible.  That is the only way that I can address them and help you move forward.
• I expect you to effectively communicate your ideas, problems, solutions, thoughts, etc.  This means clearly explaining your thought process on items we discuss.  I make decisions based on the information you (and the team) provide me, so it's pertinent for us to be on the same page.
• I ask lots of questions.  Do not take this as means of nitpicking or me trying to poke holes.  My intention is to completely understand the situation and make sure the team is clear on what is being discussed.
• You should be comfortable expressing your point of view and feel enabled to (respectfully) disagree with any suggestions or plans the team makes.  We all need to feel safe and comfortable to have debates on different solutions and decisions.  At the end of the day, not everyone will agree on things, but we need to be aligned and understand why we are making the decision we are making.  I rarely "veto" anything the team thinks is a good idea.
• I prefer the following chain of communication in terms of highest priority: In-person -> Phone / Video Call -> Text / Slack / Hangouts -> Email.  Please come talk to me if it's important.  If it can wait, email me and I'll get back to you later.
• I make an effort to create relationships with all members of the business, both in my teams and outside.  This is critical for driving things forward and creating strong strategic alliances.  I recommend you do the same.

Professional Development

• No one will invest in your career and future growth as much as you will for yourself.  I will be there to provide guidance and answer questions about your future goals and aspirations.
• If you find a gap in your skillset, ask me for help.  If the organization offers a PD allocation, I will help you to use that to gain those skills.  If not, we can work together to establish a creative way to provide you with an opportunity to learn that skill.