Hello, my name is Adam. I look forward to getting to know you and developing a relationship based on mutual trust and understanding.
This document is intended to provide you with some information about me, how I work, what you can expect from me, and what I in turn expect from you.1
Along with hopefully aiding your onboarding it also provides me with an opportunity for self-reflection, and gives both of us a tool by which I can be held accountable.
As Technology Director I'm here to ensure that our teams are happy, doing good quality work, and aligned with the company's goals and values. On top of that I also write code and help to keep the servers running.
You can expect me to:
- Be available. The most important part of my job is to support you. If you need me please ask.
- Practice the things that I expect of you.
What do I expect of you?
- Care about the work produced by yourself and the rest of team.
- Be curious, ask questions, take notes.2
- Learn from your successes, your mistakes, and your colleagues. Invest in yourself and practice self-reflection.
- Be compassionate and helpful to those around you.
By default I schedule one hour of 1:1 time every four weeks, for each of my direct reports. For new starters I schedule it every two weeks instead, until we're both happy you've settled in.
1:1 time is your time. It's a dedicated safe space for you to let me know how you're doing, how you feel the team is doing, and what is and isn't going well for you. It's also the perfect time to discuss your goals, career development, and anything you feel you need from me.
Please don't save urgent things for 1:1s.
Your personal and career development is down to you. I'm here to support you with guidance and resources. Your goals and the work required to achieve them have to come from you.
I believe that feedback works best when it's given as it happens. I try to avoid saving it up for 1:1s.
When you do something I consider worthy I will praise you publicly, usually within the team, but occasionally to the wider business. If this makes you uncomfortable please let me know.
If you want feedback on a specific behaviour or piece of work please ask for it.
I want feedback from you. If you think I'm making mistakes I need to know so I can address them. If you think I'm doing something well it's just as important that you share that. I can't promise that I'll always act on it, but I can promise that I'll always listen.
I prefer to give and receive feedback face-to-face (video), but if you don't then a Teams message or email is also fine.
My typical working hours are 07:45 - 16:15. I always take an hour's lunch, normally at 12:00. On Tuesdays I work from the office, I usually arrive around 08:45 and leave around 16:45. I care deeply about work-life balance. I don't read my emails or Teams messages out-of-hours, so if you need me urgently please call or text.
Reading has been a lifelong passion for me. I typically read about 30 books per year, spanning genres such as science fiction, personal development, and more recently memoirs.
My core values of curiosity and continual improvement, mean that I'm not happy unless I'm learning something. I've recently started to learn Cymraeg (Welsh); I'm enrolled in a weekly evening course and spend several hours each week on self-study.
A couple of years ago I learned to ride a motorcycle. I can now be found enjoying my limited free time crusing the lanes of Shropshire on my Triumph Speed Twin.
I'm an ice hockey fan and used to hold a season ticket for the Telford Tigers. I still try to make a few games each year and you'd be more than welcome to join me one weekend, especially if you've never seen live hockey before.
I like single malt Scotch whisky and dark ales. I don't drink a lot, one or two units per week (sometimes none), as I value enjoyment over excess.
Footnotes
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This is a living document and will therefore change over time. It's also written by a fallible human being. If you notice anything you consider to be inaccurate, please do let me know. ↩
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We all forget things occasionally and taking notes costs very little. Taking and reading your own notes is my number one tip for levelling up. ↩