# Gustaw Fit's Manager Readme **Head Of Engineering at Zoopla** # Motivation for this document This is my Manager README, which I hope will give you some insight into who I am, how I operate, and what you can expect from me. One immediate thing to takeaway is how much I value work-life balance. As much as I love working, a job will never come before my family or personal life, and I would expect the same for the people on my team. 1. Sickness - don't ask, you are off if you're unwell 2. Any urgent life situation - take time off, worry about accounting later, just inform us you'll be away 3. Time in lieu for production issues out of hours (if you are not on rota) - just take the time, no questions asked 4. Short leave - up to 3-4 days - give me and your team heads up within 24h (by default coverage is team lead headache to deal with) 5. Longer leave - will most likely justify some discussions on coverage and hand-over, so 7 days minimum lead time applies (best if longer) I believe we're all professionals and can be trusted to make the decisions that are best for ourselves (and our partners/families/etc.).  I will always be respectful of your personal time; all that I ask for in return is for you to be communicative with myself (and your teammates) about any time you'll be unavailable, no questions asked.  In summary, you never need to ask permission for time away from work for personal matters. Simply inform me, take whatever time you need, and you'll always have my support. # # About me - I love reading and continuing to learn about software architecture and patterns. What I value the most though are various in-person experiences. I am yet to find a technical book that would not assume 'in an ideal situation'. - I am a [metrics fan](https://zoopla.blog/posts/2021/zoopla-DORA/). Not because I am a bean counter, but because my natural tendency is to go by a gut feeling and they help me to balance my insights. - I am running a blog. My personal opinions can be found [there](https://guerrilla.blog/). - I've been interested in agile processes since 2006. I am a fan of [Tom DeMarco books](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_DeMarco), tl;dr assuming manager is the least important person on the team and should make sure people have a sufficient amount of slack to do great things. - I'm learning to become a better leader almost every day.  - I've spent almost 18 years in this industry, and have some terrific stories, both successes and failures. I'd love to hear yours as well! - I am a believer in biohacking. Thus my glasses. - I'm a [glass is 90% full](https://www.quora.com/What-the-hell-does-glass-half-full-mean) type of person and will usually find the positive in most situations. At the same time I come from Eastern Europe, so also value blunt pessimism and criticism. Both sides help me to support teams better. - I strongly support Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Both as a sufferer of various health conditions as well as through having a son diagnosed with ADHD. - I introduce myself as Gus, my full name is Gustaw (Gustav), albeit after trying to explain so many times there is no 'v' in Polish alphabet, I have begun to like Gus. This is awesome, as my full name only has 6 letters now (Gus Fit). - I am a believer that value comes from innovation. Rarely more explanation is required for me. You want to try a new thing / way - I'll be there to support you. - I believe in being a [paint-drip-person](https://tidyfirst.substack.com/p/paint-drip-people) - I'm quite easy-going, soft spoken, and [chatty](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/chatty). # # My role As a Head of Engineering: - I'm here to ensure the teams gels and operate efficiently.  - I'm here to ensure engineering voice is heard and the value of good engineering is explained to the wider organization. - I'm here to provide you with support, guidance, resources, advice, or just a friendly ear to listen when it comes to your respective technical or personal challenges. - I'm here to ensure you enjoy coming in to work each day. This includes enjoying working within the technology itself, the team you're on and leading, and the overall work environment. - I'm here to help you grow your career in the direction you see it going, whether that's becoming more technical, further into leadership, or something totally unrelated. - I'm here to ensure our entire organisation is successful, which includes a) making sure the team have everything they need to deliver quality products at pace, and b) making sure we meet the commitments we've made to the business. - I'm here to fight for engineering efficiency on all organizational levels. This includes strategy, risk, as well as standards work. - I'm also here to propagate my simple successful engineer manifesto: - Start from asking 'Why?' - Be pragmatic - If facing multiple priorities, say no - Last but not least, I like getting my hands dirty and working hands-on on the code. # # Our 1:1s - We will have a scheduled 1:1 every week or two (frequency is your choice), but I'll make myself available for ad-hoc sessions anytime you'd like. My calendar is a bit crazy, but ping me anytime and I'll always make time for you. - This isn't a status meeting for you to tell me what you're working on, or for me to tell you what you should be working on. The goal is to provide a safe space for us to talk about your professional development, issues you're having with your team or yourself, things you're excited about, or areas I can help provide you with context, guidance, or anything else you might be needing at that time. # My Availability - My core working hours are between 8ish to 6ish (I flex a bit for family time), but if you need support from me for any reason, regardless if it's on a weekday or weekend, you should always feel free to message me. I'm here to support you, full stop.  - I'm occasionally online in the evening or weekends! I may post an article I've read (or something along those lines) outside of core working hours, but in the event I do, please ignore it until your next workday begins. - I encourage you to put time in my calendar anytime you'd like, or ping me in Slack if you need to have a quick chat. I do my best to keep my schedule up to date, so if you find a free slot, book it. If you don't find a free slot, simply send me a message and I'll make one for us.