# Ryan Spoone's Manager Readme

**Director of Engineering at Mediafly**

# Motivation for this document

My Manager README is a document that helps introduce you to my management style, philosophy, and expectations. The intended audience is primarily anyone who reports to me, though anyone is free to read it - or even provide feedback on it! Please treat it as a reference and promise how I will conduct myself as a manager and what I expect from you.

I urge you to hold me accountable for my promises and to call out anything that might be missing from this document. Without your guidance, I will not be able to improve as a manager.

# Expectations

- We’ll have 1:1s at a cadence that you like. If you have no preference, we will do them bi-weekly. I’ll only cancel this meeting if I'm out of the office, but you can cancel it without notice. It’s your time.
- Any planned topics for our 1:1 agenda will be in Lattice, so we remember essential topics. But you’re always free to use the time for whatever’s on your mind.
- When I drop into your DM’s, I’ll always say “hi and why.” No suspense, no small talk while you are wondering what I want.
- News or announcements that significantly impact you, your work, or your team will come from me directly in a 1:1, not revealed in a big meeting.
- You’ll get feedback from me when it’s fresh. There will be no feedback in your performance review that you’re hearing for the first time.
- I trust you to manage your own time. You don’t need to clear your time AFK with me in advance.
- Your work gets done your way. My focus is on outcomes, not output. Once we’re clear on where we need to go, how to get there is up to you. If I ever find it necessary to suggest a specific approach, I will supply an example.
- A team is strongest when it’s working together, looking after one another, and caring for each other. Please look to your left and your right for opportunities to help your colleagues. Please ask for help when you need it. Nobody works alone.
- I trust you to skip a level and talk to my manager or other senior management about anything you feel is relevant. You don’t need to clear it with me, and I’m not going to get weird about it when you do.
- I will attribute credit appropriately to you and your team. I will never exaggerate my role or minimize your contribution. I’ll be especially sure to nail down attribution when senior management hears of our accomplishments.

If this sounds good to you, please reciprocate by giving me what I need most: The truth in return. Give me your feedback, say when I’m wrong, and tell me your ideas for how we can do better.

If we trust each other, we can learn and grow together. That’s how I want to work with you.

# Providing feedback

If you have feedback for me, please give it. It could be something you liked and would like to see more of, something you thought I could do better, something you thought I screwed up, or something that doesn't fit in any of these categories. Even if you think it might not be the case, I want to hear it. And if you think I don't want to listen to it, I'd love feedback on why you feel that way!

I'd prefer that if you could give me this feedback in person (or over Zoom). If you're only comfortable kicking off a discussion with an email or a Slack message, I prefer you do that instead of not bringing it up.

If you're not comfortable giving me this feedback yourself, I'd love for you to give it to someone above me in the management chain so they can anonymously relay it to me, and I can work on it.

# Career Development

I will always try to call out potential career advancement opportunities, but it's entirely up to you when you want to pursue them. It's your career. I will coach and give feedback. I will fight for you for raises and promotions. I will not pressure you before you are ready, and your growth will be on your timetable. You set your goals. You set your priorities. I am here to support you.