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Jiovanni Rosario's avatar

My wife’s manager wrote a manager’s README. She shares it with each new person on her team. It seemed like a great idea. I thought about writing one, too but was nervous about sharing it with others. You’ve inspired me to write one for next year.

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Anton Zaides's avatar

I was very nervous too :)

Good luck!

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Liubov Koreva's avatar

Great tips! I came across the concept in the Rands Slack community first, and created mine. I also like the idea of titling it 'Manager's README - WIP.' This way, it's perceived not as something set in stone but as a current version or snapshot of leader/team relationships 😊

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Anton Zaides's avatar

Thanks for the recommendation, this is the first time I heard about the community, applied now to join :)

Yeah, I think the best comment I got here is about it being a joint effort with the team, more like a team document. I think there is a place for both - one more focused on your principles and thoughts, and another one about the day to day of the team, which you should do together with them.

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Jordan Cutler's avatar

Super cool doc Anton and thanks for sharing.

I can definitely see myself doing the same and following your example once I eventually make that switch into management. From an IC reading it, it makes a huge difference in how clear the expectations are.

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Anton Zaides's avatar

Thank you Jordan! I'm waiting to discuss your challenges after the inevitable transition :)

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Engineer's Codex's avatar

This is so comprehensive and I wish all my managers had done the same. Thanks for sharing Anton! Your reports are lucky to have a manager like you

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Anton Zaides's avatar

Thanks Leo 🙏

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Neo Kim's avatar

this was an awesome read, thanks Anton

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Anton Zaides's avatar

Thanks Neo! 🙏

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James O'Reilly's avatar

This is such a great idea. In the past I've made great efforts to verbally go through this kind of thing individually with different team members. Creating a readme is so much more efficient. It's clear, you don't forget anything, you can update it as needed. Absolutely stealing this idea. Why didn't I think of this? Thanks for posting excellent content.

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Anton Zaides's avatar

Yeah, it’s definitely more effective than trying to do it one by one. I think the biggest benefit is putting everything in the open - all the small things people might be afraid to ask or discuss.

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Healthy Developer's avatar

Anton, your Manager's ReadMe is a brilliant initiative! Clear communication is the backbone of a successful team, and your transparent approach sets a great example. It's refreshing to see a leader who not only shares expectations but also emphasizes the importance of open dialogue and continuous improvement. Your dedication to helping your team grow and fostering a positive work environment truly shines through. Kudos on taking this step, and thanks for sharing your insights with the community

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Raviraj Achar's avatar

This is amazing! Anton, you are a very good manager to eliminate the guessing game with your reports! I learned something new today :)

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Anton Zaides's avatar

Thank you Raviraj! 🙏

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Orel Zilberman's avatar

I love the way you manage your people! Impressive.

Thanks for sharing :)

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OmniLife's avatar

Great management and communication tips. As Ray Dalio says in his book Principles: "Get and stay in sync."

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Anton Zaides's avatar

Thank you! Dalio has some great advice in that books. I lived the concept of employee baseball cards, but I'm not sure most organizations will be able to stomach it :)

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Karthik Subramanian's avatar

Super cool doc Anton! This read was very insightful from the IC perspective. Some things I wished the doc contain (maybe some of those were discussed in the team) include but not limited to:

* sample topics/probing questions for effective Manager 1:1s. Sometimes ICs might be unsure of what topics are good for a 1:1 vs sharing in the team channel. Could also be good to outline what cadence you prefer to do Manager 1:1s

* How is feedback delivered from manager to reports and how does manager prefer to receive feedback from reports?

* Link to Role Expectation Guide from company (if any) since reports might tend to ask managers "whats expected in my current level vs. the next level?"

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Anton Zaides's avatar

Great questions, thank you! Will use them when I create a new one in my next role :)

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Karo (Product with Attitude)'s avatar

This is a brilliant idea, especially for async teams. Low cost, high clarity, compounding trust. I'm in.

Thank you for sharing!

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Anton Zaides's avatar

Curious to know how it’ll go for you :)

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Kenny Calzone's avatar

I love this idea!

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Anton Zaides's avatar

Thank you Ken Ashe :)

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