Tech With Tam
A leadership user manual is a short document in which a manager describes their working style. It covers their values, expected response times, what frustrates them and how they give and receive feedback. The manager sends it to a new hire before their first day, so the new hire knows those expectations from the start.
The best manager I've had sent me one before I started, together with a 30-60-90 day plan. The plan covered my onboarding, training and responsibilities for the first three months. The manual explained their working style and what they expected from me.
What the manual told me about response times
I went into that job expecting that a reply on the same business day would be acceptable. The responsiveness section said my manager valued quick email replies and often called people directly, because the team moved faster that way. In a fast-moving environment, a same-day reply was too slow. I recalibrated my own expectations before my first day.
Early conflicts between a manager and a new hire usually come from expectations that neither person stated.
How the manual is structured
| Section | What it tells the new hire |
|---|---|
| Opening note | Why the manual exists, and the manager's general management style |
| I am | The manager's working style, including how others might misread it |
| I appreciate | The behaviors they value |
| I believe in | The values behind their decisions |
| On responsiveness | Expected response times and preferred channels |
| What stresses me out | The situations and behaviors that frustrate them |
| On feedback and ideas | How to raise a concern, and the expectation that you propose a solution with it |
| Development approach | How they support professional development |
Evidence artifact
Leadership user manual
I removed names and company details. The rest is the manager's original wording with light copyedits.
The purpose of this Leadership User Manual is to help you get to know me better. This is certainly not all-encompassing, but is created to be a useful guide when working with me.
As a leader, it's important to build an atmosphere where my team can love coming to work every day, feel like they are part of a team that pushes one another to be better, continue learning and developing their skills and stay motivated to do the best work of their lives. I strive for team success over individual success and am committed to helping others achieve and climb the ranks so long as they are helping build others along the way. I believe integrity is at the root of any successful working relationship, and I don't have tolerance for dishonesty.
I believe I can learn something from everyone, regardless of rank or title, and acknowledge I am far from perfect. My commitment is to have an open mind and learn something new every day for the rest of my life. To better understand my management style, please know that it values autonomy, flexibility, and not being under tight supervision. I enjoyed these freedoms as an individual contributor and want to extend these to my team.
I am
- Driven to get results, while inspiring people along the way
- Deeply analytical and a strategic, "big picture" thinker
- A person of multiple layers. Sometimes my focus can come across as being unapproachable or "too serious", but in reality I have a sense of humor and am always open and willing to make time to help or answer questions
- Open to taking risks and thinking outside of the box
I appreciate
- Work ethic and people that take action
- Frequent communication
- Attention to detail and a high standard of work
- Collaboration: tapping into other people's ideas brings a better chance of success
- Being self-sufficient in solving problems and finding answers, but knowing when to ask for help. Humility > Pridefulness
I believe in
- A values-driven organization: Having strong values and fostering a culture of diversity and inclusivity can be our biggest differentiator as a company
- Leading by example: It's one thing to state your values, it's another thing to live them
- Caring for my colleagues: I am intensely loyal and delivering for my team takes precedence over customers and shareholders because happy employees move the business forward
- A mindset where hearing a customer say "no" is interpreted as "not yet"
- Giving timely recognition, celebrating successes, and building the confidence of everyone on the team
- Cultivating relationships with cross-functional teams to deliver better outcomes
On responsiveness
Speed is a weapon that allows us to move faster. I have a bias for quick action and decision making. I appreciate people having a sense of urgency. At times my pace can be overwhelming for people, but I balance that with coaching. For instance, guidance around how to be intentional with your time and how to thrive in chaos. I really like quick responses to emails. I also like picking up the phone and calling someone directly. Why? Because we all move faster this way.
What stresses me out
Inaction. I maintain a fast pace and have little patience for things that stand in the way of progress. I tend to be frustrated by situations that require me to jump through a lot of hoops, and I dislike policies and procedures that get in the way of creativity and flexibility. Additionally, I believe that individuals should share, be collaborative, and contribute to one another's success. So, it upsets me when individuals withhold information, ideas, and strategies out of fear their colleagues will outperform them or get more recognition.
On feedback and ideas
"Complaining about a problem without proposing a solution is called whining." (attributed to Teddy Roosevelt)
I value an individual who will challenge the status quo and bring new ideas to the table. However, I have low tolerance for those who do not follow up criticism with constructive ideas and actionable solutions. Be sure you bring solutions and actionable ideas when you challenge.
"Only ideas won by walking have any value." (Friedrich Nietzsche)
The beauty of this quote is its twofold meaning, both literal and abstract. For me, the literal meaning is that by breaking away from the chaos and going for a walk, you can clear your mind and give runway for the conceptualization of new ideas, solutions and creativity. It's that simple! The abstract meaning is that only ideas put into action have a meaningful impact. In other words, anyone can come up with good ideas, but only few have the courage to put in the work to execute them. I encourage my employees to go for a walk and clear their minds when things get stressful and put their ideas into action.
Development approach
I enjoy inspiring people to undertake ambitious development plans and encouraging my team to think big. I attempt to create a setting where people believe that anything is possible and strive for more ambitious goals than they would otherwise have considered. Work can and should be adventurous, therefore I work to build confidence in my team so they feel empowered to use creative, innovative approaches. I take pride in their accomplishments.
Write your own
- Write one paragraph or a few bullet points for each section in the table above. Use the first person and the language you use with your team.
- Be specific about expectations people tend to assume. Response time is one example. State how quickly you expect a reply and when you prefer a phone call.
- Describe how others might misread you. If your focus can come across as cold, or your pace as overwhelming, say so and explain how you'd like people to respond. The example above does both.
- Send it before the person's first day, with a 30-60-90 day plan if you have one.
If you're starting a new role, ask your manager whether they have a user manual. You can also write a short version about yourself that covers how you prefer to receive feedback and your usual response times, and share it in your first week.