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To build on what another commenter said, the idea of manager READMEs made perfect sense when they started out a few years ago - here are my quirks, here’s how I
by nlh 7y ago
To build on what another commenter said, the idea of manager READMEs made perfect sense when they started out a few years ago - here are my quirks, here’s how I operate, etc.
The problem is they’ve turned into something that justifies bad behavior more often than not. So many of them have this undercurrent of “I’m an asshole - don’t take it personally!” which is just totally not OK. The solution isn’t to proudly broadcast and justify that you’re an asshole and expect others to adapt — the solution is to not be an asshole.
That being said, things like “I tend to work late so if I email you on the weekend, I don’t expect you to reply until Monday” are totally reasonable and I think, on the whole, a good thing.
- lonelappde 7y agoIf someone tells you they are an asshole, the problem isn't that they told you.
- freedomben 7y agoVery much agree with your analysis here. It's like many, many good ideas that have come up in SV (agile/scrum, OKRs, etc), when looked at as a useful tool for the individual that should be utilized on an individualized basis, they are incredibly useful. When made standard and forced into use-cases and personality types they don't work for, they can be mediocre or even counter-productive. They will also be used in ways not entirely desired, such as for self-promotion, self-justification, gaming things, etc. Managers also tend to get overly prescriptive about how to use the tool (usually a sentence that starts with, "here's how we do $TOOL at $COMPANY" is often heading there). I've used OKRs, Kanban/agile and many other tools for me at an individual level and loved them. I've had the exact same tools at companies become a waste of time, a point of contention, and only be a "value add" for management.