Manager Readme of Andreas Behringer.
Very few things are more important than a personal conversation. If you want to talk to me, let's talk.
You have heard a rumor? You need clarification or simply have a question? You are dissatisfied or there is something that blocks you in your work? I look forward to hearing about it as early as possible and will be happy to help you.
You are allowed to put something in my calendar and you don't have to ask before. If my calendar is already full, then talk to me or send me a message.
You're good at your job. You wouldn't be here if you weren't. When I bombard you with questions, it's just a) to get a context or b) to help you ask yourself the right questions.
I am not good at your job. Your opinion is an essential contribution to all my decisions. If you are on the right course with your decisions, there is no reason for me to contradict you and I am at your side.
You tell me how to do your best job. One of my main responsibilities is to make sure that you can do your job the best you can. Sometimes things happen that I don't see and then I don't know that I have to support you. Then please talk to me. Please answer the question "What can I do to help you achieve your best performance?"
You decide how much freedom you have. The basis is trust and there you get a large amount in advance. Our open feedback will help us to find the optimal amount of room for you.
We're the team. I'm doing this job to achieve outstanding results together, not for reasons of power. I see my role as a supporter and stand by you so that you can really step on the gas.
Mistakes are an opportunity. People make mistakes, and that's a good thing. Every mistake is a chance to learn. Let's talk openly about it. I also really messed up on the one or another occasion. Our great error culture gives me the confidence in the company and exactly the same applies to you.
I'll give you context. If the background of your work is clear to you, then you will make good decisions in your work. I have a good overview and usually know the background. If I don't know them, then I will inform myself about it.
I challenge you. I ask you questions so that you can ask yourself the right questions. Your right decisions are your success and for me this is the most important thing and thus also becomes my success.
I'll stand by you. If we made a wrong decision, we talk about the root reason. Then maybe I didn't give you the right or sufficient information before or made wrong decisions myself and that makes it my mistake. We are working on making the next decisions better. A wrong decision you talk about becomes an opportunity - a wrong decision you hide becomes a mistake.
I'll put out the fire. You can't always avoid things going wrong and "shit hits the fan". It is my job to work with you to ensure that we can work effectively and efficiently on our tasks again and look ahead.
… ...and more. Tell me where else I can help you.
Do an outstanding job. That is my expectation, nothing less. Let me know if something is holding you back.
Disagree with me. I want to hear your controversial opinion and I believe it is important to shed light on topics from different angles. The best foundation for this is trust. I will work hard so that you can build this trust in me.
Make decisions like it's your company. Take responsibility. Would you be satisfied with your result if it was your company and your next pay check directly depended on it? I was self-employed and can help you to develop this way of thinking.
Help me get better. Tell me what I do well and be courageous enough to tell me what I fucked up. I like to do the former more often, I will work hard on the latter. I am an extremely self-critical human being - but unfortunately only that. Please tell me if I didn't do something well and what you would have expected from me.
Communicate. Most mistakes are due to lack of communication. Conflicts can often be avoided in this way at an early stage. Do not make any assumptions about what exactly might be demanded, but be courageous and ask the customer until you have a clear idea of what is wanted. But also:
Give advice. You work here because you are an experienced developer. Allow us to be part of it. If there's one thing I've learned in my career, it's that developers often know alternatives to how to meet the objective with different ways - it's valuable. To do that, you must have thoroughly understood the objective.
Look beyond the box. Familiarize yourself with our goals. We have a very open corporate culture and you will get deep insights if you are interested. Some things are more important than just perfect results in code or a completed task. This means that a solution in the overall context of strategies, goals, company, team and colleagues makes sense.
I don't like to collect feedback for you. If I have feedback for you I will contact you as soon as possible or use our next One-on-one (o3). I don't like sentences like "what I always wanted to tell you".
Feedback on the matter does not apply to the person. If I have critical feedback, then I am addressing this incident. It is far from my intention to judge your personality with fundamental criticism.
Use the feedback for yourself. Take from the feedback what brings you further. Think critically about it, the feedback may be wrong, then let's talk about it. My goal is always to make you improve yourself.
The time is yours. I take weekly time for you to talk to you for 30 minutes. But it's also okay if you say you want to skip the meeting - it's yours.
Use the time. Prepare yourself, tell me how I can help you, what's on your mind or if you want feedback on a topic. And when I ask you how you are, it's not a phrase.
Also otherwise... I am of course also there for you at other times, you do not have to wait for the next O3 date. Speak to me. In urgent cases you can also ask me out of a meeting or call me at any time - my contact details have been sent to you separately.
My personal values you can expect from me:
Honesty. The basis for this is trust and openness.
Go first. Be courageous and interested and want to be a role model.
Empathy. Understanding people and their motives as a whole.
Self-criticism. Only those who are self-critical and who reflect can improve.
Excellence. The knowledge never to be perfect but to strive for this state.
I'd appreciate your feedback.
Was this Readme helpful for you? Is something important missing?
Talk to me about it, I like to develop this Readme further.