# Introduction

![Built with Love](https://forthebadge.com/images/badges/built-with-love.svg)

This is my **Manager Readme**: a handbook for setting expectations between us; just you and me.

In this document, I will try and be myself, presented through text -- with the help of some emojis along the way... This should be expected from you if we're going to properly build trust.

![You didn't ask for this](https://forthebadge.com/images/badges/you-didnt-ask-for-this.svg)

You didn't ask for me to make this, but I made it for you. Well, more accurately, I made it for **us**.

I'm looking forward to getting to know you, and this document is not intended to replace the in-person relationship or mutual understanding that we will build over time. The intention of this document is to give you an idea of how I think, and how I work! So, let's work through it, and I hope that you can use this as an accurate "reference guide" to me as a person, my expectations, and the way I manage...

![Pretty Risque](https://forthebadge.com/images/badges/pretty-risque.svg)

If you've met me in person, you'd well know that I can be crude, loud and (*hopefully, only sometimes*) obnoxious! Well, as a result, this document is too.

You'll also notice that I'm not scared to have a discussion about just about any topic and if you ask, I will (try and) give you a straight answer. Some people call this [Radical Candor](https://www.radicalcandor.com/about-radical-candor/). I prefer the terms "open, honest and direct" -- which is also (*not-so coincidentally*) one of the slogans of my current employer!

![Fuck it, Ship it](https://forthebadge.com/images/badges/fuck-it-ship-it.svg)

*PLEASE NOTE: **This is unashamedly a work-in-progress***.

You can check when I last updated this over on [GitHub](https://github.com/PHeonix25/management-handbook).

![No Ragrets](https://forthebadge.com/images/badges/no-ragrets.svg)

I've been holding onto this document in draft form for far too long; it's time to *just ship it*! ![Shipit Squirrel](https://hermens.com.au/assets/shipit.png) 

This book will change over time, as I learn, develop and change my style. While I don't expect it to change often, I'm sure there will be constant tweaks.

![Uses Git](https://forthebadge.com/images/badges/uses-git.svg)

This is built using [GitBook](https://www.gitbook.com), and run from my [personal GitHub account](https://github.com/PHeonix25/management-handbook). If you'd like to see how I've grown (or developed this guide) then feel free to [check out the commit history](https://github.com/PHeonix25/management-handbook/commits/master).

Feel free to make a PR (or [create an issue](https://github.com/PHeonix25/management-handbook/issues/new)) if you think I've missed the mark somewhere in here, or want to start a conversation :)


# Who am I?

I have a lot more info over on [my personal site](https://hermens.com.au/about), but I'll copy the abstract over here for those that don't want to click through:

> I’m a loud Australian that’s been living in the Netherlands for a few years – and still trying to learn Dutch. At risk of sounding cliché; I’m an skilled .Net developer, experienced public speaker, husband and father, but most of all, a geek. Over the course of my career, I’ve found that interesting problems & inspiring solutions are what gets me out of bed in the morning.

I think that tells *most* of the story, but it's probably worth highlighting for you that I enjoy addressing crowds, I'm not scared to stand up and fight for what I think is right, I want to get more under-represented demographics into tech, and I want to make the world better for my kids.

I believe that this doesn't make me a Leftie, or a Feminist, or a Hippy, or whatever other title you want to come up with... I think this just makes me **a good person**™.

I try and live my life by solving problems, and not just technical ones (although those are by far the easiest to solve). This means that I can sometimes try and give you a solution to your problem, even if you didn't ask for one. *Just ask my wife.* If you think that I'm overstepping what you need from me, please, just let me know.

***TODO:** Insert the life-story-line-thing from the session with Saskia.*

Seeing as you're reading this, I would assume that soon we will have our 1:1 sync; make sure if there's anything you want to know, you ask. The egotistical part of me loves to tell a good story.

If you're not working with me and you want to know more, that's also fine! My DM's are open on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/phermens), you can request to join [my Slack workspace](https://join.slack.com/t/hermens/shared_invite/enQtMzc0MTE2NTU2Mzg0LTg4NWIyNjcwMGEwNWVjMmM5YzA0OTFiNWE1MWYwMzEzNzNiM2JkMGY2YzY3ZmJkZjgwNDY1ZjNkZmQwMDNkMmM), or just [email me](mailto:p@hermens.com.au).


# What's my role?

## Generally

Generally, I'm a work-hard, play-hard Australian that's living in the Netherlands. This means that my role in our relationship is someone that can set an example of how-to (*and sometimes an example of how-**not**-to*) get things done.

## Professionally

At this moment, I'm a "Development Manager" (*...think "VP Engineering" for you Americans*) for an amazing on- and off-line retailer servicing the Benelux region: [Coolblue](https://coolblue.nl/en).

If you were to use the [RACI method](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsibility_assignment_matrix) of identifying responsibility, then at this point in time, I'm:

* `Responsible` for approximately 8 Team Leads
* `Accountable` for approximately 70 developers, across 6 language specialisations.
* `Consulted` as part of the management team of Coolblue Tech (250+ employees)
* `Informed` on direction & overall company strategy by our CEO & CFO as member of the Tech Management team, but also as a member of the 'Raad voor Ondernemers' (*aka. Workers Council*).

## Culturally

As I wrote in [the intro](/), I'm a fun-loving, foul-mouthed, straightforward Aussie. As such, I love a drink, I love to eat good food, and I enjoy all the things that my culture is associated with: sun, sand, and surf. You can expect me to be the one cracking jokes, and not taking anything *too* seriously, but also wanting to push myself (and others around me) to achieve our goals.

As an inter-cultural example: Australians generally aren't as "self-promoting" as say, Americans, but we are far more self-interested than the Dutch. There are many more examples of this sort of culturally-biased behaviour that you'll come to notice over time, and so many of them that I "just do naturally" and without thinking -- feel completely free to give me feedback if this affects our relationship or our ability to get things done! :)


# How I work


# What I do

In this section I just want to run through my typical activities, both personal and work-related in order to give you a better understanding of where I (choose to) spend my time.

Understandably, this will change over time, and probably more often than my GitHub contributions will, so this may be out of date by the time you're getting to it, and as a result, I might make it a bit more generic than when we're talking in-person.

That being said, I hope that this is indicative, and shows you *some* of the things that I value.

I've broken this document into two themes: in-work-time and out-of-work-time. For me, I've come to learn that I need to keep those two very separate, for the quality of my personal life, but also to succeed and focus at work. Spending time inside work focussing on personal items, or (more commonly) spending time outside of work focussing on work challenges has proven to be a contributing factor to my unhappiness in the past. These days I really try to make work stay at work, and home stay at home, and so this document represents that as well.

## During work

My days normally start with a coffee and a gentle walk into the office. I deliberately separate the two so that I have an established "start" to the morning. After that, I break my day into two "types" of activities: things I do for others, and things I do for myself.

### For others

* **Regular syncs (1:1's)**. Some people need this more than others, but one of the most important things that I do at work is make sure that "my team" is going well. If all I did was spend my day "clearing blockers", then I think I'd still go home happy. Enabling and empowering Team/Tech Leads to solve their own problems is still my first priority, but checking in and helping where I can is very important to me.
* **Recruitment**. Most of the organisations that I've been a part of have been through periods of "hard growth". I appreciate the challenge of finding the "right people" for the various positions these companies have asked me to fill. As such, it's not uncommon to see me spending 5+ hours a week in interviews, or other recruitment activities, like screening, interviewing, signing, on-boarding, and retention.
* **Operational duties**. A new policy needs to be rolled out, or a new piece of legislation is foisted upon the company (*...here's looking at you GDPR*), and that can take a lot of my time. Granted, this is primarily delegated using some form of "trust, but verify"-techniques, but it can still take time out of my week to ensure that these projects are making good progress.
* **Strategic responsibilities**. An equally important part of my role is identifying and implementing items of strategic importance; whether this is making small changes to our recruitment processes, or updating the employee handbook, these are generally items that don't provide (easily) measurable impact on the bottom-line, but are very important for any organisation to scale effectively.
* **Appraisals (& promotions)**. A (pleasurably) challenging part of my role is to appraise the efforts and achievements of others, as well as helping them appraise themselves. As a result, I spend a significant part of my time in evaluating others (*and myself*). You can see the templates and formats that I'm using in other sections of this document, but between the strategic items mentioned above, and the appraisals of myself and others, this is why I block most Thursdays to work from a quiet space; i.e.: my home-office (*or a "silence-room" at my current employer*).

### For me

* **Lunch outside**. Whether the weather is good, bad, *or just plain Dutch*, I try and take a walk. It helps me to take a breather and reset, or to go over events from the morning, or prep for sessions in the afternoon. I really try to block this time and enjoy walking with friends because this is "for me".
* **Presentations**. I enjoy presenting, and more-so, I enjoy presenting motivational topics. Thankfully, my day job gives me plenty of examples of success stories (*or funny stories of failure that we've learnt from*) that I can then share with larger audiences. As a result, you'll find me collecting anecdotes, gathering insights from teams, and preparing these stories as time allows.
* **Preparing social events**. I love setting the stage for a great work-culture; making sure that our day jobs are fun, and we feel motivated to come to work with our friends, and so it's not uncommon to see me preparing a Pub Quiz (*in Dutch and English, scary!*), a "*Beer & Laptops*"-evening, or working closely with a larger team on projects like Hackathons or meetups.
* **Go home on time**. My children are still young, and I moved to this side of the world so that I don't need to commute for hours each day and can eat dinner as a family and tuck the kids into bed. This means that I like to make sure I leave the office by 6 each evening (as you'll see in my schedule later on) and be home in time to spend time with my wife and kids. This helps me to make sure that I'm prioritising them accordingly.

## Outside of work

Outside of work, I have quite a few "hobbies" that interest me:

First amongst these is **PC gaming**: online team FPS games, like Overwatch or Counter-Strike really help me to blow off steam, and put my headphones on and just have some fun for an hour or two. On the other hand, if I want to destroy a whole weekend, and I have the time/space, then I can absolutely lose myself in games like Prision Architect, Cities Skylines, or other "world-builder"-type games.

This is closely followed by **contributing to open-source** projects. Sometimes this is development (and helping me to make sure that I don't lose the hard-earned skill of development in C#), but these days, more often than not, this is documentation, guidelines, or project management skills.

Finally, I love **spending time with my family**, and I love spending time with my family out of home :) Planning the next big adventure (esp. now that we live in Europe) is something that gives me a lot of energy. Currently, I'm investigating options for a proper "white Christmas" in a Nordic country, and incorporating that into some sort of road-trip.

If I'm not doing any of the above, you'll probably find me on Slack, or on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/phermens), or sitting in front of a TV-series with my wife, or enjoying a good \[gin/whisky/beer] with friends, or sleeping, or possibly/maybe/hopefully even at the gym - although I'm still struggling with motivation for that last one ;)


# What I expect

Normally, when people say "I expect", they normally mean "I expect this **from you**". For me, I like to take it one step further. I expect the following in my life, whether that be at work, in my social circle, or even of myself.

## Honesty

> Don't make me hunt for the truth

I love telling a good story as much as anyone else, but I really try not to lie. Embellishments and over-exaggeration is something I am known for (*fortunately, or unfortunately*) but I do strive not to lie. Like every good joke, it needs to be based on truth. I ask that I get the same from everyone around me.

Please don't get me wrong; I'm fine with people wanting to tell stories, and I can understand when people want to hide their "failures" or spin-doctor the shit out of something, but it really makes me angry (after disappointment) if I'm sent on a wild-goose-chase, or *even worse*, directly lied to. If you've got nothing to say or don't want to say anything, then say nothing. I find that preferable to making up a story for the sake of "getting me off your plate".

## Transparency

> Why do I have to ask, if you can share?

Similar to the above, if you're electing not to share something, then my spidey-senses get all tingly. I will instantly ask myself: what are you trying to hide? This is, obviously, something that I am looking to improve, as no two people are the same, and starting from an extroverted position means that I occasionally find it difficult to empathise effectively with introverted or private people. ...but, as they say, *in yet another cliche*, knowing this is the first half of the battle, right?

## Directness

> Ask, or tell, but never stay silent...

I moved to the Netherlands, because I prefer a direct approach to conversation and communication. Even still, I don't think I was ready for how direct **some** Dutch people can really be. Even after experiencing this though, I feel that I default to direct, rather than indirect, as my preferred approach to conversation. Telling me you're upset, and how you expect me to fix this, and allowing me to do the same in return is - in my opinion - a much quicker path to a solution than spending weeks dancing around a topic or (*even worse*) playing [Chinese Whispers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_whispers).

## Ownership

> Be the change that you want to see!  *-Not Ghandi*  *-Michael Scott*

Nothing makes me prouder than finishing something. I hope that this is the same for you, but even if this isn't a motivation for you, please help everyone around you improve by being the change that you want to see. I have recently purchased some laptop stickers that read: *"Don't complain, suggest something better"* to constantly remind me of this fact - and I think for the both of us, approaching your challenges with a positive, can-do mindset is a very important factor in our long-term success together!


# What we do together


# My schedule

About half of my time at the moment (maybe more :thinkingface:) is spent on "operational" or "tactical" duties. Clearing tickets, making sure projects are on track, chasing down issues, and delegating effectively. This leaves very little time for working on "bigger picture" or "strategic" items, unless I manage my time well.

Generally speaking, my day starts with an alarm at 7:30 (I'm **not** a morning person), and by 8 I'm helping the family get ready for school or the days events. I love a good sleep-in, but unfortunately I only get the opportunity about once a month.

By 8:30 I walk my children to school and from there I walk/ride into the office in time for the "Tech Management Time" session shown below at 9. From there, as I mentioned in the [what I do](/now-the-real-stuff/how-i-work/whatido) section, it's normally gogogo until lunch, breathe, and then gogogo until I need to leave to head home.

As I said before, I'm generally not a morning person, and it takes me until about 10 or 10:30 before I feel awake and running. You'll notice that all but one of my syncs (due to the preferences of the other person), and most of my important meetings (like appraisals/syncs) are scheduled in the afternoons. This is my preference, but if we end up working together and you like to start at 4am and finish at lunch, I'm sure we can work something out... :)

I try to leave the ends of my days free (from 5pm onward), as it gives me a moment to collect my thoughts, get back to [inbox-zero](https://www.fastcompany.com/40507663/the-7-step-guide-to-achieving-inbox-zero-and-staying-there-in-2018), write down notes or action points from the day. Basically it gives me an overflow time where I can recap the days events. In the screenshot below you can see the physical manifestation of this as the hour of white space between the top of the blue Thursday item, when compared to the rest of the days. Thursdays finish at 6, other days finish at 5 - if nothing else, this is a visual reminder to take a break, and finish up on the other days.

## So, let's break it down

For the purposes of this article, I've color coded what a typical week looks like for me:  ![Calendar Snapshot](https://485427976-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LE4ZjNzO8m-QPdxGBUW%2F-LL90llCJWLsYe6jCnwH%2F-LL90mYWXm82jfzLeZf3%2FTimeManagement.png?generation=1535619051051707\&alt=media) 

> *Sorry, in Markdown+GitBook, there doesn't seem to be much control on the size of an image after they render the Markdown for me. They strip out all the standard tricks that I know. For now, feel free to right-click, "Save as", or "open in a new tab" if you want to see a bigger version.*

* `Yellow` is time set aside for working with my peers or working on team projects.
* `Blue` is "me time"; I've chosen what goes in those slots, and it's sometimes strategic, sometimes operational.
* `Red` is an appraisal of someone reporting to me, right there in the middle on Wednesday.
* `Gray` is my blocked out lunch hour (as I described in [what I do](/now-the-real-stuff/how-i-work/whatido)).
* `Light Blue` are interviewing slots, and when there's a dark blue overlapping, that's when I've accepted the interview.
* `Purple` sessions are my regular syncs (again, as described in [what I do](/now-the-real-stuff/how-i-work/whatido)).
* `Green` sessions are demonstrations or presentations that I need to attend, or present.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't normally color code my weeks like this (and in fact, in doing this it sent out a bunch of "meeting updates" to everyone involved, so I had to apologise for that), but I wanted to find a way that I could make this easier to digest for someone looking from a higher level, and to make it easier to explain.

You might notice in this particular week I have a few significant events:

1. Tuesday there's lots of yellow,
2. Thursday, and
3. Friday afternoon

Let's break them down a little futher:

### Tuesday

I'm currently working in a Tech Management team that does two-week sprints, just like our teams - yay; solidarity! We have our stand-ups at 10am daily (shown by the yellow bar across the mornings), and every two weeks we have a "*sprint cross-over day*", where we hold a retrospective and a refinement/sprint-planning session. This takes up most of the day on a Tuesday every two weeks, but helps us to share our progress on strategic topics, and any operational concerns.

### Thursday

Thursday is generally my "me" day where I do things like "*update my management handbook some more*" or "*read another chapter of that management book*" or "*prepare for an upcoming appraisal*". I mainly focus on *my* mental health and personal development, and spend time making sure I'm prepared for the rest of the week, and the upcoming week. In fact, I'm typing this up on a Thursday; looking forward to the coloured week above!

If you ever need me on a Thursday, I'm still available on Slack (*or WhatsApp in emergencies, like always*), but I'm generally slower to respond. This is also a time where I may get in touch with you (*via Skype, Hangouts, or Slack*) to delegate strategic items if I feel it is beneficial to us both. In that case, I'll normally ask you to let me know when you're free and work around your availability, or just add it to the agenda for our next sync if you're not available.

Occasionally there are sessions that I need to attend on a Thursday, or sessions that I want to host that fit into my "Thursday category", so occasionally you will see me in the office, and I've titled the all-day event on Thursday *"Think twice before booking meetings with me, please*", because that's all it is; a time that I need, and so if you feel your session is more important (*"Hey Mr CEO!"*), then I can be flexible.

### Friday Afternoon

In the week shown above, I have a big presentation that I need to deliver to the department on Friday afternoon. Granted, this might not be the best time to deliver this presentation, but it's immediately before our monthly update by our CEO, and followed by the monthly "borrel" (i.e.: drinking session).

This time around, it's going to be an on-boarding session, like an orientation session for all the new joiners to understand a bit more about our company and it's history, why we're doing what we're doing, and putting our roles into a little more context. This should be attended by about 20 people, and I have the ability to deliver it in English, so it's going to be quite straightforward (hopefully).

It's not uncommon to see mornings or afternoons for things like this blocked in my agenda, even if the event itself is only going to be an hour or two, sometimes I like to have that space so that I'm not rushing into an event and racing to context switch. If you need me during this time, then (unless you're bleeding and need me to take you to the hospital), it's going to have to wait, sorry.

## Meeting etiquette

Speaking of when I'm available during meetings, the short answer is: NEVER!

If I'm spending time with someone, then I want to focus on them! Pinging me on Slack is fine, because I'll get to that between appointments (*walking from one room to the other can take a few minutes at my current employer*), or "when I can". Interrupting me should really only happen in an emergency. I will also try to give you the same respect.

Now, if a meeting is a general all-hands demo, and what we're discussing isn't involving me, I do occasionally refer to my phone, to archive mail, or clear out Slack notifications, but if I'm doing this, trust me when I also tell you that I'm asking myself why I was even invited in the first place, and making mental notes to excuse myself from future sessions.

It's even worse (for me) if it's a once-off meeting that's run without an agenda, or without goals in the invite. Please, if you're going to host a session, let others know what to expect. I can "roll with the punches" most of the time, but not everyone is like me, thankfully, I might add... Adding an agenda, a goal, or a longer explanation than just "Project X" is just a common courtesy!

## Cool, but WHY?

I've outlined above WHAT my schedule looks like, but not WHY!

For people in development roles (i.e.: most of the people that report to me) my calendar looks like an absolute nightmare, and I don't want to be a wanker and just say "*this is what my job looks like now*", but to a degree, it is.

If I don't schedule syncs well in advance, and expect others to respect them, then we just won't have them. If I don't block out the time that I'm presenting to a group, others will "need" me during that time.

Fortunately (or unfortunately), I am yet to work on any sort of management team where "my days are free" and "I get driven by the winds at work". Scheduling, and making sure I allocate time for myself is crucial in terms of organisation and facilitation for me.

There are plenty of other posts, written by much better writers than little ol' me, that go into why you should (or should not) do what I do, but for now, this works, and I hope we can find a way to make it work for us.

> *TODO: Come back here and link a few other GetThingsDone or RememberTheMilk posts...*


# Templates


# Getting to know you

In my time as a manager, I've done a lot of reading. One of the lessons that really stuck with me was [this article](https://larahogan.me/blog/first-one-on-one-questions/) from Lara Hogan - *one of my all-time favourite management coaches*.

It's worth noting that these questions are stolen/lifted/borrowed *almost verbatim* from the article linked above, with my interpretation added as in-line notes below. As with most areas of life, nothing is original, but you should at least credit the author, so [Lara](https://twitter.com/lara_hogan), thank you! :)

If you are planning to roll this out yourself, please go read the original post ([linked again for your convenience](https://larahogan.me/blog/first-one-on-one-questions/)), as there is a much deeper write-up over on her site.

## Without further ado: The Questions

### Grumpiness

> *Grumpiness* was chosen as the descriptor here **because** is deliberately vague. People interpet it as they need to. For some, it's not being able to get out of bed in the morning, whereas for others, it's just "something an icecream can solve". It's interesting to see where the other person takes this. Staying vague, without real examples, might show that you have more work to do to establish a 'safe sharing space', but others might just bomb you with honesty from the get-go!

* What makes you grumpy at work?
* How will I know when you’re grumpy?
* How can I help you when you’re grumpy?

### Feedback & Recognition

> *Feedback and Recognition* is something that varies WILDLY from person-to-person, and it might be driven from their previous management/life experiences, corporate exposure, or even cultural values... but it is **essential** to get this right in order to gain trust and give feedback effectively.

* How do you like feedback - the medium (Slack, email, in person, etc.)
* How do you like feedback - routine like in syncs, or as-it-happens?
* How do you prefer to receive recognition? (public or private)

### Goals and Support

> No-one likes to waste their time, but some people dearly value sitting in silence. Let's clarify expectations by asking about their *goals and support*.

* What makes these syncs valuable for you?
* What are your goals for this period? And for the next 6 months after that?
* What do you feel you need from your manager?
* What do you feel you need from your team?
* What do you feel you need from your peers? (outside the team, i.e.: the department)

### A Single Long Question

> This is a personal statement, something I believe in, and something that can open the air for future syncs (or beers, or coffee chats). Framing the question this way also allows me to share some of my core values from the start and see how we align and where I might need to spend more time/effort.

I believe that human learning and growth requires the right amount of four things:

1. new challenges,
2. low ego,
3. space to reflect and brainstorm, *and*
4. timely and clear feedback.

So...

* How are these four going for you?

> *NOTE:* This question is deliberately vague. Some people talk about their expectations for the new role, others focus on their personal life, or their past. Again, it's interesting to **SHUT UP** and allow the other person to share their interpretation.

* Is there one you need more or less of?

### The Most Important Question

> Everyone loves a laugh, and a reward, and it's good to end on a high-note, so lets find out what you need to bring in when you're trying to raise spirits, reward someone, or even just surprise them with something they like.

* What’s your favorite baked good or Dutch treat?

## I wish this was easier to copy/paste

No worries! [Here you go](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ALVJFA8gp7H53iIyPQqoBN1IvZku-5YYcjKpMx6HCXE/edit).


# Regular syncs & 1:1's

One of the things that I think is most powerful in effective communication is making sure that you're on the same page as your colleagues, peers, and direct-reports.

You may not always agree, but you need to make sure that you have a common understanding, a matching set of expectations of each other, and a decent way to communicate openly and honestly -- in my opinion -- for you to have any success at all.

## How then?

Normally, I start with the introduction questions mentioned in [Getting to Know You](/now-the-real-stuff/templates/gettingtoknowyou), but then we need to move on to more regular check-ins.

For these I like to start with a simple opener: *"How are you going?"*.

I know that this sounds REALLY simple, almost too-simple, but it really helps to break the ice, and let me see what is on your mind. My goal here is to try and figure out how you're feeling before you even tell me - that'll show me that we're on a good level and that I can read your emotions, which, like it or not, is a skill that comes in handy for a lot of different situations.

I don't want our syncs to be a status update, a project check-in, or us walking down a list of KPI's. I want to use this half-hour (*or more, if we're new to this*) to talk about YOU, and me, and what I can do to help you, and what you can do to help me. Just like friends, having a chat, and not afraid to ask for help.

## Rands In Repose

I don't know if you know about Rands, but if you're in management, or you're leading a group of people, you probably should. He has a great book, and over a decade of writing, including management tips, over [on his site](https://randsinrepose.com). He updates the content regularly, and I would advise following along/subscribing/whatever.

> As an aside, *I still miss Google Reader*. Can someone bring it back? Please?

One of the best write-ups I could find when I was writing this section, that aligned best with me, and what I'm aiming to get out of our syncs is an article he wrote called "[The Update, The Vent, and The Disaster](http://randsinrepose.com/archives/the-update-the-vent-and-the-disaster/). Please go and give it a read now, I'll wait.

**...**

Now Rands puts it a lot better than I could, but I'll try and summarise these three types of syncs in my words below:

### 1. The Update

This is a normal sync, nothing out of the ordinary, and you don't need me to do anything immediately, and I don't need you to help me with anything at this moment. A regular chat, two friends, just checking in. This is obviously my most relaxed type of sync, but I'm always a little skeptical if you have "nothing" going on... Surely we're missing something? Guess when it's read it'll turn into:

### 2. The Vent

You've got something on your mind, you need to get it out, and you're either holding it in, waiting for me to ask the "right" questions, and hit on the nerve-point, or we've progressed to the point where you just want to blurt it all out. Either is fine. My role in this type of a sync is to listen, to take it all in, and to see if there is any sort of feedback or resolutions that I could suggest to you. Even if there's nothing I can do, sometimes it feels good just to get it off your chest!

If we don't address it at this stage, or we've skipped a sync due to holidays, and now [it's bigger than Ben Hur](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bigger_than_Ben_Hur), it might have become time for...

### 3. The Disaster

The world is on fire, the king is not wearing any clothes, and we don't even have time to jump into the #war-room. This type of a sync is by far the most draining, but it's my responsibility to get all the right info out, onto the table, and work through it with you. We should make sure that we don't finish a sync like this until there is a solution in sight, or at least a plan for "next steps".

Another, easier, but sadder type of "the Disaster" is when you start a sync and someone hands you a (proverbial) envelope. This isn't good news for one of you, and even though all good things must come to and end, it doesn't make the "*Can I grab you for a moment?*" land any softer.

## Outro

Long story short, give [the Rands post](http://randsinrepose.com/archives/the-update-the-vent-and-the-disaster/) a good read, try and figure out what this means for us, and by default: please be open and honest with me. I need to know what's going on so that I can best help you to help me help you -- if that makes sense.


# Reviews & Appraisals


# Thanks

There are so many people I need to thank, that have taught me different bits and peices of this management handbook over time and have helped me to clarify/train/focus on my own strengths and weaknesses.

Most of these people know who they are, and a lot of this is driven from my previous managers and peers, but some of their work is more public than others.

If they have published their work (*or I have stolen something verbatim from the internets*), then I'll link it below, along with credit to the original author -- *or the person I stole it from at least...*

* **Lara Hogan** - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/lara_hogan) - [Personal Site](https://larahogan.me/)
  * Questions for our syncs, as mentioned in the section: [Getting to know you](https://management-handbook.hermens.com.au/now-the-real-stuff/templates/gettingtoknowyou).
  * So many other things I've probably forgotten, sorry.
* **Camille Fournier** - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/skamille) - [Personal Site](http://www.camilletalk.com/)
  * Her book, [The Managers Path](https://www.amazon.com/Managers-Path-Leaders-Navigating-Growth-ebook/dp/B06XP3GJ7F/ref=as_li_ss_tl), is just amazing for all levels of management. Read it!


# Credits