The following is the same document I send to folks that I work with for them to get to know a little bit about me, my working style, and what I value most.
If you don't have your own then now is the perfect time to write one!
latest revision: January 28, 2024
[JobTitle] at [Company]
Welcome! If you're reading this, you're likely someone I work with closely at [Company]. I've created this document to share my leadership philosophy, working style, and expectations. I believe strongly that our success is built on relationships, clear communication, and shared understanding of our goals.
At [Company], I measure our success not just by what we deliver, but by how well we work together as a unified team with clear direction. I believe that when every team member understands our objectives and feels ownership of our mission, we create better outcomes for our customers and ourselves. My role is to ensure we have this clarity and alignment, making sure everyone knows how their work connects to our larger purpose. This means regular discussions about goals, open dialogue about challenges, and celebrating our collective achievements.
A Brief Introduction
I live in Massachusets with my wife, our two sons, and our two red Labrador retrievers. I come from the world of front-end engineering, specializing in JavaScript, CSS, and HTML. Beyond work, I enjoy traveling to new places, spending time at my family's lake house, reading, listening to music, watching and playing sports, and staying active and healthy.
My Role & How I Think About Leadership
As [JobTitle], I see my role as being a catalyst for both team and individual success. I'm passionate about driving strategic initiatives that move [Company] forward while creating an environment where everyone can do their best work. I believe in fostering a culture where learning and growth are constant, where we take ownership of our decisions, and where we're obsessed with delivering value to our customers. Their success drives our decisions, and their feedback shapes our direction.
I love building bridges across the organization - whether that's partnering with other teams, mentoring colleagues, or helping everyone understand how their work connects to the bigger picture. I'm deeply committed to helping each person on our team grow and develop in their career, while ensuring our engineering practices can scale and evolve with our success.
Our Ways of Working
I believe in creating an environment where great work can happen naturally. Here's what that looks like in practice:
When it comes to working as one product and one team, I encourage breaking down silos and focusing on shared outcomes rather than individual achievements. You'll find that I'm a big proponent of efficient collaboration - this means fewer but more purposeful meetings, eliminating redundancy wherever we find it, and making sure our engineering, product, and design teams work together seamlessly.
I'm a strong believer in team autonomy and ownership. I'll provide context and direction, but I trust you to make decisions within your domain. I want you to feel empowered to experiment, test ideas with users, and take ownership of your work. At the same time, I believe in looking at our work through a market lens - understanding our competitors, planning for user feedback, and always aiming to leapfrog what's currently possible.
How I Like to Work
Let's talk about the practical stuff - how we can work together effectively. I'm typically online from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST. I believe in taking breaks to stay fresh, so you'll find me stepping away for 45-60 minutes during lunch for some fresh air and a mental reset. I block out three 90-minute focus periods each week for deep work, but otherwise, I'm highly available.
Slack is my go-to for communication - feel free to DM me anytime, even outside of work hours. For anything urgent, don't hesitate to call or text me at [PhoneNumber]. I use "speedy meetings" in my calendar to ensure we all have time to context-switch between discussions.
Our one-on-one meetings are your time - I want you to drive the agenda with what's most important to you, whether that's discussing your growth, working through challenges, or diving deep into technical problems. I believe in giving timely, specific feedback, and I'll always aim to celebrate your wins publicly (with your comfort) while handling any constructive feedback privately.
When it comes to decision-making, I prefer to delegate authority and trust your judgment. I'm here to provide context and remove obstacles, not to prescribe solutions. I'd rather see you run experiments and learn from them than wait for permission.
What You Can Expect From Me
I'm committed to supporting your growth and success. This means regular conversations about your career aspirations, opportunities to stretch yourself, and exposure to strategic initiatives that can help build your influence and impact. I'll work to create an environment where you feel safe to experiment and learn, where expectations are clear, and where your contributions are recognized.
I believe in protecting the team's time and focus, so I'll work to shield you from distractions and unnecessary meetings. I'm also deeply committed to technical excellence, supporting innovation while ensuring we maintain sustainable engineering practices.
What I Hope to See
I value initiative and proactive communication. I love working with people who take ownership of their work, communicate early and often, and learn from both successes and setbacks. I appreciate those who embrace challenges with a growth mindset, stay curious, and help others grow alongside them.
Most importantly, I want to see us all focusing on impact - understanding the business context, delivering value to our customers, and thinking strategically about our technical decisions.
A Note on Work-Life Balance
I believe strongly in maintaining a sustainable pace and personal wellbeing. I encourage you to take time off when needed, communicate about schedule constraints, and step away from work to recharge. Your health and family should always come first.
Let's Connect
I'm excited to work with you and help you grow at [Company]. Feel free to reach out anytime - I'm here to support your success. Remember, this is a living document that will evolve as we learn how to work best together.
This is a living document that evolves with our working relationship.