# Jordan Berk's Manager Readme **Senior Engineering Manager at Workiva** # What is this? To me, the most important element of a joyful and productive work environment is the foundational relationships with coworkers. As a result, it is essential to understand how best to interact and communicate with everyone, especially those you work with the most (like your boss). I hope this readme will help you understand me better, and in turn allow us to maximize the quality of our work and interactions. This is a living document; if you notice anything that I could supplement or have other feedback, please let me know! # About Me I started as a software engineer and will always love to code. There's nothing better than the unique satisfaction that comes from things fitting together perfectly. And just like a well-architected system, a great _team_ makes everything easier and more fun, which is why I love being a leader and strive to do my best in the role. If you want something to talk about with me other than work, I love basketball, technology, food, dogs, and music. I'm also a sci-fi writer, and my first (only?) novel was published in 2024!   I've been married for more than ten years, but my wife and I have been together for over 20! We live just outside of Los Angeles (in Oak Park) and have two kids: a cheeky 5.5 yr old boy and a non-stop 3yr old girl. # Team/Culture My most important value as a leader is cultivating effective teams – ones that work together, communicate well, and are a joy to be a part of. I will do my best to encourage that type of culture - with humor, mutual respect, encouragement, and active support. I hope that you will do the same to bolster the culture as well. # Time Management ## My Time I strive to always be completely available for anyone who reports to me. My priority is always helping my team. Even if I seem busy or stressed, I truly never mind being asked for assistance or advice. ## Your Time I try to be very hands-off and empower you to manage your own time and workload. Unless I specify the urgency, if I ask you to do something, it doesn’t always need to be highest priority. I’d rather you stay focused and finish what you’re working on (or find a good stopping point). I highly value quality work/life balance and will do my best to avoid overloading you or asking you to work extra time unless absolutely necessary. # Communication ## Style A large part of my humor is dry or sarcastic, but I never intend to offend or sound negative.  I’m not great at small talk; it just doesn’t come naturally to me. If I don’t ask, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to know. Tell me what’s going on in your life! When I'm not being sarcastic, I generally speak very directly without a lot of embellishment.  I'm a better writer than speaker, so I sometimes stumble over my words a bit while trying to formulate them, or am too pointed and direct - especially when discussing the less comfortable topics.  If you prefer a particular communication style, let me know; I can adapt! I absolutely love Slack. I’m a visual person, so I will likely be able to process the discussion and explain myself best with the benefit of asynchronous interaction. If you see that “typing…” indicator lingering, that’s just me crafting the perfect message. # 1:1s Recurring 1:1 meetings are critical for us to establish rapport and provide an outlet for you to share your thoughts, ideas, feedback, complaints, and more. They are not for status updates; I can get those anytime. I hope you will come to these meetings prepared with pertinent discussion topics. For example, what are the biggest challenges you’re facing currently or what can I do to help make you more productive? Or tell me about your weekend, family, or hobbies; I’m happy to talk about anything. It’s your time. I like to create a dedicated Slack canvas for topic collection.  I don't have the best memory, so it helps me remember discussion topics in between meetings. 1:1s are a great opportunity to connect and I hope you’ll embrace them with the same significance as I do. # My Commitments to You - I will be available as much as possible to support you however I can. - I will provide useful feedback in 1:1s and as part of performance evaluations. - I will do my best to give you the opportunity to work on tasks that match your interests. - If I provide an explanation or answer that isn’t clear, I will continue to help until it is. - I will help you advance your career with coaching and by encouraging learning opportunities. # My Expectations of You - You will do your best to complete tasks on time and with high quality. - If something isn’t working or you’re stuck on a task, you will do your best to find out why, either individually or with the help of the team. - Your code will be clean, thoroughly tested, and follow our established standards. - You will promote a positive team atmosphere by being respectful, courteous, and helpful to your teammates. - You will speak up directly or in meetings with any ideas or feedback for me or the team. - You will give a heads-up as early as possible about anything I need to know about (major bugs/blockers, work falling behind schedule).