# Laura Di Santolo's Manager Readme

**Co-Founder & Managing Director  at Forward·Inc**

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# Motivation for this document

I am writing this document because I am a firm believer in; understanding each other better leads to better well-being and performance at work. I want to be easily approachable and also understood by the team. I want you to understand why I do what I do.&nbsp;

# My role

My role is to keep Forward achieving its goals. The goal is to grow our impact and budget continously. We do not want to keep standing where we are now but grow and excel.&nbsp;Managing the team, external stakeholders and the 2 boards is part of this. I check on the quality of the work we do and keep us moving forward cohesively and smartly.&nbsp; In order to do so, I provide you context to your work and ask you questions so you can assess your priorities.&nbsp;

As the MD the board assesses my performance formally. However, I think the team's feedback is more valuable. Hence, the 360 Degrees Feedback moments are crucial, which I will organise every 6 weeks.&nbsp;  
It's also my job to provide you with the resources and access to get your work done.&nbsp;

Feedback from each other&nbsp;is key at Forward. For me Feedback is:

- having the intent to help others grow&nbsp;
- aimed at behaviour, not a person&nbsp;
- actionable and explicit as to what improved behaviour looks like
- given as quickly as possible, tight loop to reorient behaviour (don't harbour bad feelings)

Monthly 1-on-1s, every 6 weeks 360 Feedback moments and a lot of exposure to internal and external stakeholders (of which some are quite senior) enable all team members to grow continuously. If you feel not well equipped to carry out your tasks please communicate. We will also set clear KPIs over the course of the next weeks for everyone individually.&nbsp;&nbsp;

For all Forward team members working here for 1 year full-time a yearly budget is available of 500 EUR to grow. This money can be invested in a coach and/or&nbsp;training. Please discuss this with me.&nbsp;

# What do I value most?

Honesty, Positivity, Solution-oriented people, Kindness, Going the extra mile, Enjoying work (you might as well), being respectful to the rest of the team, presenting Forward as the best newcomer incubator in the world, Proactivity!

You help me by doing your job well, clarifying unknowns, being excited about work and being professional. Let me know if anything is bothering you, you need to open and talk about issues for me to course-correct them.&nbsp;

I like to handle conflicts head-on, timely and ideally in person with the people involved. I do not think that conflict is bad if managed well. I also love to not waste a good crisis. I am not really phased by matters going wrong that are out of our control, If they are within your control, I can get annoyed, especially if it is due to laziness and not proactively managing the issue.&nbsp;

My weaknesses, I am not very patient when it's about discussing topics over and over again, getting lost in the what-ifs, we should have, we could have etc. I want to move forward. I think I grew a lot of patience and understanding over the last years when it comes to developing people and trying to get the best out of everyone.&nbsp;

I have little understanding of people making a mountain out of a molehill. Working with refugees, I am deeply grateful for all my privileges and try to put those to a good cause every day. I can be a (bit) sharp, in Italian you say: the tongue is the strongest muscle. I try to work on it. Please let me know if I say something that you find hurtful. Sometimes I get lost in details and want too much, also here just share openly what you think is appropriate. I have strong opinions, but I know they are not facts. So if you prepare well and bring some strong arguments to the table you can make me change them.&nbsp;  
Please disprove me so that I can learn with you.

# My Expectations

I expect people in the team to be professional when working. Be on time, be respectful, be kind, think ahead. I deeply care about the team and good team dynamics and always prioritize it.

Availability & Ways of Working&nbsp;

- I expect everyone to be online on Slack from 9AM to 6PM Monday to Thursday and reachable via phone.&nbsp;
- Direct mention (@name) and direct messages are expected to be replied to within two hours (except if you have external meetings and/or are focussing on deep work)
- If you are not working during working hours (doctors appointments etc.)&nbsp;please communicate to me upfront and to the team during the DH that day.&nbsp;
- On Fridays please take off when all your tasks of the week are done, checking in with me&nbsp;and wishing everyone a good weekend via #ourteam on Slack.
- Mondays to Fridays we start off the day by being online/offline together at 9 AM and doing the DH or MMM together.&nbsp;

- Tuesdays,&nbsp;Wednesdays and Fridays you can work from home or the&nbsp;office in Ams or RTM, hence the meetings will take place via Zoom.&nbsp;
- I expect everyone to check their emails twice a day and reply within 48 hours.&nbsp;

Mistakes happen. Own them. Come forward and see how they can be fixed. We are not surgeons so no one is dying if we make them. I do not appreciate trying to pass the blame on others and not taking accountability for your actions. I expect you to take ownership of your tasks and own your role at Forward. We need every single person to deliver good work and be on top of it. Do not pass responsibility to others in the team.&nbsp;

I consider a task done when it is completed 100%. If I need to still look over it or someone else in the team it is not done. Also if you own a task it is your responsibility to finish it from A to Z and manage the people involved in it.&nbsp;If you are stuck tell me and I'll help you. You are the driver.&nbsp;

I want to give team members more freedom but will step in if things are not done in a useful or logical way. If I can trust someone to do good work I gradually step back.&nbsp;

If you see that my behaviour/actions are hurting a team member or organisational success&nbsp;you'd be doing me a huge favour if you let me know about it, as soon as possible.&nbsp;

# 1:1s

I enjoy 1-on-1s with the team. I will set up one&nbsp;at least once a month, the agenda can be set by both of us. Of course, more often is possible if either one of us needs it :) I want you to reach out and plan one if you need to talk outside of the monthly one.&nbsp;

# Personality quirks

I get nervous if people are talking in circles without stating clearly what they are doing or want. People that are indifferent and passive. I just don't get it. You have one life every day just happens once make it count!&nbsp;

# Where to focus on your first 90 days?

Fitting into the team. Understanding Forward's culture. Striving to achieve organisational success by being a happy camper delivering great work.&nbsp;