Hello! If you're reading this, there's a good chance that you either work with me now or are considering working with me in the future, and you want to know more. That's a great goal, and this document is here to help. Just to be on the same page, though, I have to admit that my own mental model of myself will be forever lacking, so a Markdown file is going to do a terrible job of approximating "me." Feel free to read this, ask me any questions you have, and build your own set of assumptions from there.
My secondary goal with this document is to make you more comfortable telling me that I've screwed up. We're all inconsistent and hypocritical from time to time, and I really really want to know when that happens to me. If I'm ever making decisions or pushing something that goes against what I say here, you have a personal invitation to call me out on it.
Since I'm already musing about approximations, let me start with a first-order approximation of a story. I'll tell you the complete story at the end.
An employer once asked me "what does an ideal day look like for you?" This was a get-to-know-you exercise, so they expected me to say something fun like "go on a long hike, then have a nice dinner with my family." Instead, I said "work hard all day and finish a lot." They gave me a funny look.
I think this (somewhat obnoxious) answer tells you a lot of things about me:
- My default is to have a solid work/life separation. I was at work when the question came up, so I answered about my work day.
- I value getting things in a "wrapped up" state as much as possible at the end of the day. Not only does that make it easier to leave work at work, but it also encourages me to break tasks in to smaller chunks.
- I value making the most out of the limited time that we have. Yes, that is a little existential. Sorry.
- I dislike finishing something and not knowing what to do next. This means that some part of each day has to go towards planning ahead and predicting the future (which I love).
- I value direct and honest answers over social conformity. This can make me more or less popular at parties, depending on whether the direct and honest answers are things that most people are willing to say.
A few other things that I think you should know:
- I can't imagine working in isolation. I need to be a part of a team, organized around common goals and learning from each other.
- I'm a teacher at heart. I love helping others grow, especially getting in their heads to identify and iron out assumptions.
- I think it's important to isolate focused, heads-down tasks (like development) from interrupt-driven tasks (like Slack). Mixing the two leads to getting nothing done.
- I overuse bullet points.
I think that bad communication can break a company, and it's certainly been the cause of most of my professional frustration over the years. First of all, we need to see all of our interactions as opportunities to build empathy and understanding. Regardless of whether we're inquiring, brainstorming, reaching consensus, or informing others of a decision, everything is easier if you can see where your coworkers are coming from and what they're trying to accomplish.
Sadly, determining the correct medium of communication is hard. There are a few ways to go right and a lot of ways to go wrong. Here are the modalities we have at our disposal these days:
- Face-to-face conversations (in person or videoconferencing). These are high bandwidth, and with a whiteboard/sketch tool, they can be the best way to brainstorm/architect new solutions. I also find that it's the hardest to misunderstand someone when you're looking them in the face. However, if the only goal of the interaction is to communicate a decision or ask for feedback on something, you should not interrupt someone's day for that. Choose an asynchronous method instead.
- Screen-sharing or phone calls. Still high-bandwidth, but you lose the cues of body language. Great for coding (or brainstorming in the absence of face-to-face time), but again, don't overuse them.
- Emails. Honestly, I can get a lot done with email, but I'm the inbox-zero type. I never lose track of a message (like I do in the rush of Slack), and they are asynchronous enough I can batch them into my interrupt-driven time. If you don't have a blocker and can wait a few hours, this is the best way to get me to do something for you.
- Slack. Well, so. I have to admit that Slack has helped companies get a lot of things done faster. However, I'd propose that it's causing us to become a hyperactive hive mind, and we're losing our ability to concentrate on one thing for long periods of time. I have also found that I occasionally drop some things I have to get done if they're communicated in Slack, and I hate messing up that way. Still, it exists, and we can use it well. Just don't judge me too harshly if I'm not in many of the "fun" channels.
I worked for a big company out of college (and it was rough), so I tend to accomplish as much as possible asynchronously before setting them up. That being said, they're not destined to be awful. Here are the heuristics I use to keep meetings effective/bearable:
- Articulate goals for each meeting in advance.
- Never run late. If you need to talk more, reevaluate the attendee list and get back together in a smaller group to cover what's left.
- Keep brainstorming/architecture meetings. Two, three, maaaybe four.
- Be vigilant about not falling into a rut. Regular meetings like stand-ups and sprint planning are great, but we should continue to iterate on the agenda, and dump the practice if it's becoming rote.
- On the largest scale, do have the occasional (monthly? quarterly?) meeting with all hands on deck. Employees want to know about company goals, direction, and outlook, and getting together as a team can be quite motivating. Just keep it fresh (and to the point).
One other thing: if you have some documentation you want to polish and get right, don't meet about it. Pass it around asynchronously. And for heaven's sake, never ever EVER copyedit in a meeting.
Everything in this document applies whether I'm your direct report, peer, or manager. Being a manger comes with its own nuances and responsibilities, though, so for more detail on what I think of management, check out my Manager README.
Warned you about the bullets, didn't I?
All right. Back to the story. If you recall, I was asked "what does an ideal day look like for you?"
In an effort to make a good first impression with you, I didn't give you my complete answer. What I actually said to my employer was: "Work hard all day and finish everything that I planned to." This is a more honest answer, but sadly, it reveals two of my weaknesses.
First, I may be an over-planner. I like to predict the future, determine what we know and what we don't know, and figure out the best path for (a) getting things done, and (b) keeping our options open for surprises. However, I do get attached to my mental models, and I can get frustrated if things are ALWAYS changing. I've mellowed on this a bit as I've aged, but still, I know it's there.
Second, once we have an approach planned out, I like to focus a large percentage of my time on it. This means that I do not spend enough time exploring things off the beaten path. I can prioritize things I've committed to do over things that may be important forward-thinking ideas. I do not have an internal drive to stay up to date on the latest technologies, and I do not attend as many conferences as I should. I think it's worse to go too far in the other direction, but still, I know I need more balance. I hope that those around me (that would be you!) can keep me in the middle of the road.