Hey there, I'm Grae. Welcome to the team! There's a lot to take in at the beginning, so I'd like this document to serve as an introduction and reference. A sort of orientation, or user manual, to me. A bit about how I work, and who I am. This document is a work in progress, and is certainly not comprehensive, so if you have any questions, please ask.
As your manager, my job is to enable your high performance. I'll do that by setting context, acting as a sounding board and coach, and removing obstacles in your way. My job is not to tell you what to do, but rather to help you see the right thing to do and get out of your way so you can do it.
As the leader of a team, my job is to build high performing teams. I'll do that by attracting and retaining high performers (you!) and facilitating your collaboration. Important elements of that collaboration include (in no particular order): tight alignment & loose coupling, clear and effective communication, clear ownership & responsibility, accountability & trust, and psychological safety. Our team norms and rituals are intended to foster these things. If you think we're falling short in any way please give me that feedback!
Each week we'll have a scheduled 1-1 for 45 or 60 minutes. Our 1-1 is not a status update meeting. If we should do regular status updates let's schedule those too. Our 1-1 is not my time, it's your time. I'll probably bring some things in each week to talk about, but it's up to you to set the agenda. That agenda is a great place to throw notes throughout the week so they don't get lost. But don't relegate urgent or important things to our 1-1's, if something urgent or important is on your mind let me know right away.
The best way to get time with me is to book it directly in my calendar. No permission needed. If there's an open time you want: grab it. My calendar is open and transparent. If it's tough to find time in my calendar (it can be!) chat me and I'll make room. There is very little that is more important than talking to you if you have something to talk to me about.
These beliefs and values are why I do the things I do.
I work here because the work we do improves lives. The actions I take as a manager I take because I believe they increase the wellbeing of our stakeholders, our team, and each individual here. I have yet to see these three priorities conflict. Sometimes this means giving direct feedback and having difficult conversations. And of course I'm not always right in my judgement about what's best. If I'm wrong or missing something, please give me that feedback so I can correct it.
I derive a lot of personal fulfilment from my relationships with people. Other people are generally the reason I do all the things that I do. This has its upsides and its downsides. On the upside, I work very hard to create an environment where people thrive because I enjoy seeing the people around me thrive. On the downside, I have a default tendency to be a people pleaser. I'm working on that and pay it deliberate attention. If you see me doing that call it out for me.
The world is full of uncertainty and chance, but that doesn't mean we can't form beliefs and act from them. For me those beliefs generally take the form of hypotheses. I'm very open to seeing my hypotheses challenged or disproven. That's how we make progress. I will often explicitly or implicitly challenge you to form and state your own hypotheses when you're evaluating a decision rather than relying on your intuitions or leaving your beliefs unstated.
That's not to say you should measure everything, just that you can. If you think you can't you're probably stating the problem wrong. Whether or not the cost and benefit of measuring something is actually worth it is another thing. I strive to first understand how something could be measured and then actually do the cost-benefit analysis of deciding whether you should measure it. SchoolHouse can and should be your personal science experiment to learn more about the world.
You wouldn't be here if you weren't. If it feels like I'm questioning that it's because I'm either gathering context or trying to be a sounding board. A corollary is that I'm not as good at your job as you are. I'll provide context and ask questions to clarify your thinking, but I'm not here to make decisions for you or tell you what to do. This can come off as being frustratingly socratic and if you feel that way please tell me.
For entirely selfish reasons, I want you way up high on Maslow's pyramid. If anything is keeping you down please let me know so I can help you move on up.
You can't get to the truth if you start from a false premise. You can't improve your performance if you don't own up to your weaknesses. You can't fix a problem if you hide it or avoid it. I will be honest and candid with you. This can sometimes come across as being blunt. There may be times I don't share information with you because someone has asked me hold it in confidence, but I will never lie to you. I expect the same degree of honesty and candor from you.
Sometimes you'll do things and they won't work. That's expected and should happen. The optimal degree of risk is greater than zero, and if you don't take risks you won't accomplish amazing things. I expect you to fail on occasion and I expect you to own the followup to that failure just like I expect you to own your successes.
Slack is great but it's also terrible. If you want to chat, hit me up on Slack. But if you have something you want me to do for you please make sure it lives somewhere more permanent, like email. There's a decent chance that if you ask me to do something for you on Slack I'll say yes and then forget before I finish it for you.
I've mentioned this a few times already, but I want and value your feedback. Feedback is a gift. Without it I'll repeat the mistakes I'm making. If you aren't comfortable giving me feedback directly please give it to my boss so they can share it anonymously with me.
- I have a pretty awful sense of humor. Some people think that happened when I became a dad but really I've been unfunny for way longer than that.
- My wife Stassia, son Kieran, and daughter Rhea are pretty great. I might be biased but I think it's a fair assessment.
- I love snowboarding. When flying down the mountain your board is never flat on the ground. You're always balancing on an edge. The best days on the mountain are the days you balance right on the edge of your ability for like a big long chunk of the day. Usually it takes riding with other people who are better than me to push me outside my comfort zone and make that happen. Little makes me feel as free or alive.