What is it and who is it for

This post is both for those who have never worked with me before, and for those who worked, but it was a long time ago.

This is a short and simplified summary of my values, approach to work and organization of work.

This note should not be taken as a complete description of me as a colleague, but it is a good starting point.

Basics

I like to work, I get satisfaction from my work. It would be strange enough to spend a third of the day on something that I do not like. :)

I am an employee. The result of my labor does not belong to me — it is alienated from me. Everything that follows is built on this foundation.

I am part of a team and my work is additive, а не subtractive. We do the common thing together, not each detail individually.

What do I value

Transparency: we make right and wrong decisions all the time. The important thing is whether it is possible to understand in retrospective why this or that decision was made, in those historical conditions.

Empathy: not only at work, but in general. Man is a social species, with all the consequences.

Own opinion: its presence contributes to both personal growth and more accurate decision-making in the team.

Involvement: is both immersion in the context and subject area, and interest in the quality of the results of one’s own work.

Communications

I put a period at the end of every sentence. That’s it. There is no subtext, meaning or anything else. It’s just a habit.

Async: In the era of remote work, it is a sin not to use the possibilities of asynchronous communication. The peaks of concentrated work for everyone fall at different times of the day. It would be unfair to steal from someone the most productive part of the day.

Don’t be spooky. Please write a couple of lines instead of “we need to discuss something.”

Text is cooler than sound: zoom, mett and other delights of videoconferencing are very cool. Always glad to see and hear colleagues, even on the monitor screen. But organizing a high-quality call is difficult - someone has to moderate it; someone should write a follow-up after listening to each contestant. The text does not evoke empathy, and in general, emotions in the text are a complicated thing. But the text always remains in history. You can return to it.

Feedback

Feedback is not easy, but it is important. Feedback is a must. It allows you to debug processes and personal interactions.

Before giving you feedback, I will ask if you’re ready to receive feedback. Please do the same with me.

Feedback is best when it’s candid and direct, and when it focuses on how the recipient can grow. Let’s give each other feedback on how we give feedback, and get better at it.

When I give feedback, I try to operate with my feelings and sensations - I do not evaluate the motivation of the interlocutor. This allows me to be objective, if only in the sense that the interlocutor may not like the way I describe my feelings, but he cannot dispute their authenticity.

Work-life

I can’t work 24/7. The key to my quality work is the rhythm of work and good rest. Therefore, I will not respond to messages about work on the weekend. I probably won’t even see them. This does not mean that I am not involved. This means that I am involved so much that I cannot afford to burn out.

Can I work weekends or overtime? Yes, I can, for a common cause. But I will definitely replenish my resource due to additional rest.

It also works in reverse. Personal life could take the lead sometimes. The main thing is transparency. If I won’t be available, I will let those that might be affected know. I expect the same from others.

Extra

  • Please don’t talk politics to me unless you’re ready to get into a heated argument. :)
  • I am strongly into communication outside of work, especially on non-work topics.