# Evan Bernstein's Manager Readme

**Engineering Manager, Software at Synex Medical**

This document will always be a work in progress. 

My hope is to introduce myself so we can know what to expect from each other.

# My Management Philosophy

- I value diversity and inclusion across all axes.
- To work with, and develop, teams that have autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
- To build high performing teams that consistently, and iteratively, deliver value to our users through collaboration and experimentation.
- Experiment and iterate on the smallest thing possible: for our users, for our teams, for ourselves.
- To work closely with partners: Product, UX, Design, Research, etc
- Manage via transparency, candid bilateral feedback, coaching, and experimentation with actionable goals.
- We learn best by making mistakes. I want us all to be able to fail often, in small, easy to learn from ways, while still having the team deliver.
- To create a team where I’m “the worst” software engineer on the team: everyone should be empowered to do their best and to grow.
- [DORA (DevOps Research and Assessment) metrics](https://dora.dev/research/) lead to more performant software teams.
- [Radiate Intent](https://medium.com/@ElizAyer/dont-ask-forgiveness-radiate-intent-d36fd22393a3) - Don’t ask for permission, don’t ask for forgiveness.
- [Disagree and commit](https://www.simonmunoz.com/p/disagree-and-commit-the-importance) – Which means you have to disagree before committing.

# Feedback

- Feedback is a gift. 
- Feedback is not always “negative”, it can be encouraging someone to keep on by telling them the things you like.
- I expect to hear feedback on my performance.
  - I can’t be the best manager I can be for you, if I don’t know what is and isn’t working.
  - If you ever feel like you cannot give me feedback, give it to someone who can.

- I expect you to be giving constant feedback to your peers and partners – if you need help, I will gladly coach you.
- I will give you constant feedback – If I’m not, ask for it.
- Start with a question: make sure you actually understand what you are to provide feedback on.

# 1:1s 

- We will go through your agenda first and if time permits I will always have some questions. First and foremost these meetings are for you.

- These don’t need to be about work updates unless you really want to talk about work.
- We will periodically talk about your career growth and goals.

# What You Can Expect From Me

- Honesty, Transparency, and Context
- Coaching rather than explicit advice giving
  - For a given topic, if you really want advice and NOT coaching, please explicitly ask for it.

- To propose experiments.
- To let the team guide itself as much as possible and appropriate.

# What I Expect From You

- I expect you to create the reality you’d like to see.
- Look for experiments to improve our users' experience, your developer experience, and your personal growth.
- Tell me what you plan to do (radiate your intent). 
- If you’re stuck, tell me and the team. Don’t waste time being stuck, unless it is helping you grow. Ask for coaching or help if you want it. 

# Personality Quirks

- I am constantly working on talking slower. Please provide feedback in the moment so I can adjust.
- I can easily have imposter syndrome (like so many of us). I like hearing when I’m doing something well so I know to continue.
- I can be very passionate, and I like to challenge ideas. Sometimes I get the levels wrong – call me on it.

- I’m always listening to music, I am an actor in community theater, I play [board games](https://boardgamegeek.com/collection/user/evan?own=1&subtype=boardgame&ff=1) and [video games](https://www.dekudeals.com/collection/hkxdmrg858), I read a lot of [fantasy and sci-fi](https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2181030-evan), I listen to too many podcasts, I play bass and acoustic guitar, I sew and crochet, and have other hobbies that don’t get enough attention. My personal coding project is an implementation of the board game [Dominion](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/209418/dominion-second-edition). I have three kids: twins and a 4-year older sibling.