# Conor Higgins's Manager Readme **Tech Lead, ABX at HubSpot** # Introduction The purpose of this readme is to share some information about me, some insights into my leadership style and also offer some clues as to how we can best work together. I've been an engineer for 10+ years and in that time I've taken on leadership roles at various levels, working with people from all over the world and from multiple disciplines. I enjoy all aspects of engineering leadership, but I particularly enjoy getting the most out of people through guidance, collaboration and support.  ![](https://media1.giphy.com/media/Nx0rz3jtxtEre/200.gif) ## Pro tips 💡 - **I don't take myself seriously at all** and like to joke and have fun with my team. I do however take people's boundaries very seriously so I encourage people to **push back and set expectations with me** too.  - I have what I refer to as _resting Conor face_. This means that when I'm not smiling I naturally look angry. I'm generally in a good mood and when I'm not I typically be open and share this with others.  - I'm very passionate about my work and that means that I will regularly be seen working late at night. It's important to note that this is something I do because I personally enjoy it and not because it is expected of me, nor is it expected of you. I actively encourage others to only work when required. - I read a lot about a number of topics and often will share links with other engineers, managers, etc. When I do this I'm not setting an expectation that you are reading these too, so feel free to ignore them unless you are equally interested.   # # My role I am the Front-End TL of HubSpot's Assisted Buying Experience (ABX) team. In my role I work alongside the other Front-End engineers day to day, while collaborating with the other members of the tetrad (PM, TL's, UX and BSA roles) and also regularly collaborating with our TL's in FinTech. My role as TL is quite diverse, but my most important responsibilities can be summarised as follows. ## Team growth 💪 TL's at HubSpot are often referred to as occupying the "player-coach" role on our teams, where we are actively developing day to day, while ensuring our team and the products/services we own are held to high standards. Critically however, TL's at HubSpot are first and foremost expected to grow our engineers by: - providing a safe, inclusive working environment - facilitating personal and professional growth opportunities by increasing the complexity of tasks over time - setting clear expectations of team members and helping engineers measure their success - decentralising control and encouraging ownership by leveraging HubSpot's DRI model ## Mainsail strategy and execution ⛵️ Our Mainsail dashboard is the best available indicator of the quality of our products and services. As TL it is my responsibility to ensure that our Mainsail dashboard is always up to date, is being actively prioritised, and is understood by all team members. As part of the tetrad group, I am expected to agitate for the team having a healthy Mainsail. This does not mean however that I prioritise only Mainsail issues, and instead I am expected to use good judgement when defining the strategy for solving identified (HMI, HMR, UX and FINSUP) issues. ## Effective Compass/value stream delivery 🧭 When not working on Mainsail priorities, the team typically contributes to work that supports one or more of HubSpot's Compass stories. This means that the work we carry out beyond Mainsail is usually considered value stream. As TL I work with DRI's on each project to help deliver the best possible solution to customers and in the most effective way. I will work with you to break down your plans, agree on the best strategy for the project and ensure that you have the right information for the work you're being asked to carry out (metrics, design assets, context, etc). # # What do I value most? I place a lot of value on trusting engineers and decentralising control. I tend to avoid acting as a micromanager but offer my input regularly, ask probing questions and will jump in whenever necessary to assist. I want engineers to feel as though they can solve issues and propose ideas freely without having me validate everything – my rule of thumb is to use good judgement and  **ask for forgiveness** , rather than to always  **ask for permission**. In practice I tend to push people to follow some simple guidelines and will use these during meetings, 1-on-1's, etc. ## ## Own the solution At HubSpot we place a major emphasis on getting engineers as close to the problem as possible. This means that they should understand the context and purpose of their work and how it ultimately affects the customer. As an engineer, I expect you to not just deeply understand the problem you're solving but also champion and own the solution. In my opinion _owning the solution_ means that you are knowingly delivering work of high quality, executing on your plan effectively and also that you are actively working to get your solution in the customers hands ASAP. ## Show your work One of the things I value more than most is transparency and to me that means an engineer is open about their efforts and the progress they are making, as well as the blockers they encounter. I expect engineers to share this information in a timely way, but I also encourage my team to be transparent about their work in progress, sharing proposed strategies and more. The more open you are, the more collaborative we can be as a group ## Ask good questions I'm a firm believer that there are no silly questions (unless you need to ask the same question continuously). Good and timely questions will often lead to healthy team discussions, high levels of engagement and more importantly, it will unblock you and allow you to make progress. I hugely appreciate engineers who are willing to lean into their vulnerability in order to get answers. # # General Expectations ## 15Fives At HubSpot we use 15Five for our regular check-ins and weekly goal setting. We also use it to praise people who have helped you out throughout the week. It is an extremely powerful tool and I personally get a lot of value out of seeing and challenging the goals you are setting. Think of 15Five as a tool rather and not an obligation and you will get a lot of value out of it too. ## 1-on-1s I have a weekly 1-on-1 with my team members. This is a hugely valuable time slot every week and I encourage people to be as open as they are comfortable with, share their challenges and more. The more I know, the more I can work with you to unblock you or help you out.  1-on-1's are your meeting, but if you do not have anything in particular to talk about, I will fill the void and talk to you about the previous and current week, your relative goals, etc. I will use 15Five in our 1-on-1's but I only use this as a reference point. ## Upward Feedback I enjoy and thrive on getting feedback from anyone willing. HubSpot will occasionally ask you to provide regular feedback about me so please take the opportunity to do this and help me grow in my role. Outside of those surveys however, I appreciate getting feedback directly, especially if you can suggest ways for me to improve (technical knowledge, leadership style, etc). I am committed to getting better, and the more that I know the more I am capable of doing so. ## Booking time with me My schedule is usually pretty flexible and when I'm not available I will do what I can to accommodate people on the team. When you are looking for my input or trying to just book some time with me I am typically available on and monitoring Slack as well as reviewing my schedule regularly so either approach should work. For brief questions, I would suggest using Slack, but for anything that requires some brain power or back and forth, I'd suggest sticking time in my calendar. Regardless of the tool,  **d**** o not allow me to be a blocker for you.** If I am not responding to your questions, nudge and Slack bomb me - I sometimes don't pay attention to messages so I can focus on completing some work and as a result I can miss some important messages. If I haven't responded it's likely because I've just not seen your message. Don't be afraid to ask for my input when issues are urgent. If you are blocked, I will usually drop what I'm on and help out. The team comes first.  ## Communication & Knowledge Sharing Over time you will be taking on more and more responsibility on the team. When you are working as a DRI or even contributing to projects led by others, I expect that you work in transparently – regularly offering updates and helping others understand both your approach and output. FinTech is a complex area and knowledge silos will only increase the challenge for your team. Some helpful suggestions: - Add comments on Github issues and PR's regularly - Leverage draft PR's to show your work - Share blockers and issues in team channels and make people aware before we reach Planning meetings - Arrange "rubber-duck" sessions when handing over complex pieces of work ## Availability During a typical work day, you should feel comfortable not constantly monitoring Slack if it means that you are focusing on your work and making progress. You should be contactable however, especially when remote so I would encourage you not to turn off notifications during the workday unless setting that expectation ahead of time. If you intend to be away for a while (appointments, sick days, etc) just set this expectation with the team. Update your Slack status, or even block off time in your calendar to show that you are out of office.