Hi, welcome to my "manager" readme. This readme is here to help you work with me better as well as to make your onboarding smoother. This document has evolved as I have evolved.

My Job

• Create and support an environment where teams can create commercially viable software at scale.
• Set clear context so people in my direct team and under my influence can be successful.
• Make decisions around trade-offs, priority and impact.

On methods of communication

• Quick interactions: I use Slack for quick interactions. Sometimes, I lose track of the thread. If you have asked me for something and I have yet to respond within a few hours, please follow up for a response.
• Important communication: Email me if you require an answer to something important or are sending me important information. I generally respond to emails within 24 hours unless it's a weekend or I'm on leave.
• Miscommunication: If it feels like we're having trouble communicating, I will always err on the side of "let's chat face to face" or "let's hop on a video call" to have a quick chat.
• Needs immediate attention: If something needs my immediate attention and I'm not responding on Slack, call me (my number is +64 22 161 7226).

On my schedule

I am a morning person. I am usually in the office two to three days a week and work from home the rest of the time. I hate traffic and tend to get in early or leave late. I rarely take a lunch break; I prefer to eat and work, although I always appreciate invitations to join you for special lunches or catch up. I'm generally at my desk or in a meeting. If I'm at my desk, you are welcome to come over and interrupt me unless I have my headphones on. Having my headphones on means I don't want to be interrupted - in which case use one of the other async forms of communication.

Want to talk? Let's talk

I have a lot of things on the go, but very few of them are more important than giving you time if you need to talk with me. Feel free to catch up with me ad-hoc via Slack or in person, or put time on my calendar to talk whenever you want. You may not find a slot on my calendar on any given day; if you want to talk, let me know via Slack or phone, and I'll make some space.

One on ones'

I do fortnightly one-on-ones with all my direct reports. One-on-ones are about building relationships on a level beyond simply "what's going on with your work today". I want you to drive the agenda around what's on your mind, what you feel is succeeding, what you are challenged by, and how I can help you. I'll ask questions to help discover more when we have them. If we are in the office on the same day, I prefer to do the one-on-ones in person, but my default is to do them online.

My North Star Principles

Transparency & Candour

I am biased toward transparency and candour. I'm committed to never lying to you; however, I cannot discuss some topics because they may be confidential.

Feedback

I make mistakes and want to improve just like you, which is why I really value all forms of feedback. While I love hearing about the things you liked and would like to see more of, I find it even more useful to hear about the things you didn't like and thought I could do better on. I prefer in-person feedback. That allows me to get more context. If you're only comfortable initiating feedback with an email or a Slack message, I would rather you do that than not give me feedback at all. If you're not comfortable giving me feedback directly, I'd love for you to give it to someone else, like our PPC Business Partner (Christine), who will anonymously relay it to me.

Positive Intent

I always start with an assumption of positive intent for all involved unless they have a proven track record otherwise. People usually try to do the right thing given the information they have at that point in time.

Opinionated

I have opinions. This does not mean they are correct, or you should blindly believe them. Please challenge my views so that I can learn with you.

Growth and learning

I optimize for growth and learning. I want you to work in a place where you are regularly growing and learning, even if that place is not here. I will do everything I can to help you get into a growth environment.

Nuance

• I am an introvert. That means if I've been in a large group of people, I get exhausted and need some quiet time to recharge. Often, a quick walk around the neighbourhood is enough. You will often see me walking. I like to walk and chat; feel free to join me for a walk anytime.
• I hate absolutes. Always and never are triggers for me. I prefer usually and often.
• I talk to think. That means sometimes I explore ideas out loud even if they still need to be fully fleshed out. If I say something that you feel is poorly defined or doesn't sit well, call it out, it helps me think things through better.
• I have a poor short-term memory. I'm aware that I have a poor short-term memory and sometimes forget things. I'm actively working on it. Be patient with me.
• Showing up on time. I try to show up on time and expect you to do the same. I hate being late for meetings, although sometimes it happens. I will do my best to attend a meeting before it starts. Occasionally, I have back-to-back meetings, which means I need about 5 minutes to get from one to the other. I will do my utmost to be at meetings on time. I have the expectation that you will do the same.