Neville Kuyt's readme file.

Working with Nev: a guide.
Thank you!

Working with Nev: a guide.

This is inspired by manager readme’s from people I admire

What is this?

I stumbled across the concept of “manager readmes” on a Slack Channel, and it made me realize how much we take for granted in our interactions. Writing down what you can expect from me should reduce that - but when you see something that doesn’t work for you, please don’t assume I need you to fit in with my preferences. In fact, it’s the other way round - tell me about what doesn’t work for you, and we’ll figure it out.

Nev, the person

I was born in the UK, grew up in the Netherlands, returned to the UK for university, and never left. I have 4 children, 3 of whom are adults, 2 of whom live with me. I am no longer with their mothers (long story).

I live on a big houseboat in East London. No, it’s not cold in the winter. There is a lot of time consuming maintenance work, but I love it. The boat is full of books. I’m counting by the running yard now.

In my free time, I like to read, listen to music (jazz, classical, world music) and cook as well as eat. I am mostly an introvert - I recharge my batteries by being alone - but I enjoy social occasions and being in London’s many cultural spaces.

Nev, the software engineer

Well, that’s stretching it. I haven’t been hands-on for 2 decades. I started by writing database queries in SQL on Honeywell Bull mini computers the early 1990s; moved on to client-server applications with Visual Basic and SQL Server, then built web applications in PHP and Java, and at that point, architecture and management became the major part of my day job.

My proudest technical claim to fame is my Stack Overflow reputation which has been in the top 2% worldwide for several years now.

My approach to engineering challenges is based on the 80/20 rule. The extra effort to go from “rubbish” to “acceptable” is typically fairly small; from “acceptable to good” a little bigger, and “good” to “perfect” requires huge effort. This applies to code quality, documentation, test coverage, automation etc. It takes a lot to convince me that either extreme - “rubbish” or “perfect” is appropriate.

Nev, the manager

What can you expect from me?

Talk to me!

I generally try to schedule regular one-to-one conversations in calendars, but I’m not great at sticking to them (see known failure modes. You can book time in my diary anytime you have something you want to discuss, without seeking permission. My diary is up to date!

In general, I prefer asynchronous communication; if it’s urgent, please @ me.

In our conversations, I will be as direct and transparent as I know how. I will protect confidences - both of individuals and the company - so I can’t always share everything I know. But I will err towards open.

Work/life balance

I have gone through burn-out. It’s insidious - you think you can handle the pressure, the workload - and then you can’t.

My job is to make sure everyone can sustain their contribution. I realize there is no “one size fits all” approach to this - and I know there are strong cultural pressures to conform. I will ask about your preference and needs, and encourage you to talk to me if things aren’t right.

What that means for me:

My “paying attention to work” hours are generally between 8AM and 6PM (UK time), Monday to Friday.
In that window, I’ll generally pay attention to my phone for work issues (Slack, WhatsApp, SMS).
It’s very likely I will be engaged in multiple conversations, across multiple channels. I prefer asynchronous communication for anything not urgent; I typically respond in hours, not days.
It is likely I will spend time outside those hours on work that doesn’t require interaction with others. If I contact you during those hours on asynchronous channels, I do not expect you to reply immediately. Please don’t.
I keep my diary up to date, and generally try to block out a few hours every day for “deep work”. Please don’t book over these slots except in an emergency.

Career development, performance, that sort of thing

Honestly, I’ve never worked in a place with a career development strategy that fit everyone in my team.

I see my role as finding a balance between what’s good for the company, and what’s good for the person - and then figure a way through the organisation that finds the best fit.

So, you can expect me to work with you to figure out what you want (and often, why you might want that). You can expect me to be frank about whether that fits with what the company wants, or what you might need to do to achieve that. Sometimes, that might be “you can’t really do that here, so let’s figure out how to position you best to make that change”.

You can also expect me to be clear and direct about peformance feedback. I generally do this from two angles - how does your current performance support the goals we’ve agreed? And how does your current performance match what the company needs from you?

Principles

There are a few things I care about, and try to adhere to in all my interactions.

Separate substance from people: debate is good. It’s how we test our ideas, how we learn from others, it’s how we expand our mental models. Debate can often lead to disagreement, and recognizing and (hopefully) resolving that disagreement is important. This only works if you can separate the substance of the argument from the person delivering it.
Assume good intent: related to the point above - I assume everyone wants “good” things, but may disagree on what “good” is, or how we achieve it. Unless I see clear evidence to the contrary, I give people the benefit of the doubt.
If we aren’t communicating well, that’s _my_ problem, not yours: Assuming good intent, if we’re not communicating well, someone has to change something, and it’s usually my job to do so.

Known failure modes

I have a tendency to get absorbed in challenges, and prioritize that challenge above other things that might be more important. I think I’m in control of this, but if you see me going down a rabbit hole, please pull me back!

A former colleague once told me he felt I was “lawyering” - asking questions to clarify a point in rather more detail than necessary. Again - I get interested in the substance, try to understand it in its own terms, which may not be necessary in the currennt context…

I have, in the past, prioritized client priorities over team meetings. I try very hard not to do that - but again, if you see me displaying this behaviour, please call me out.

And finally - I can appear impatient. I am not, at an intellectual level - I understand the value of process, of building shared understanding, of doing due dilligence. At a physical level, I tend to fidget and look a little restless. Don’t worry about it.

Quirks

A few things have come up time and again over my career. They’re mostly about communication style - I understand that there are times where we want to be a little ambiguous, or create an impression or sense of occasion, or perhaps fit in with established conventions. But in a business context, I often get frustrated when I see people using language imprecisely. You have usually got just one opportunity to communicate a point; you may as well make it as rich as possible.

The Plain English Campaign’s free guides are a great starting point. A particular hobby horse is the the passive voice. In business communications, it’s usually best to be incredibly clear about who is doing what.

Secondly, I am a fan of Minto’s “Pyramid Principle” - it’s a way of structuring your thoughts that helps busy folk pick out what you care about. Simply put - start with your conclusion, and build up the arguments to support it. Don’t make the reader go through your entire 3 page email to find out what it is you want them to do.

I am aware that for many people, the ideas and conclusions emerge by talking - but you may notice me trying to find a framework for the conversation - you’ll probably hear me ask “so what’s the question?” more than once.

Thank you!

This seems a little self-indulgent, but I hope it helps. If you have feedback, please let me know - what could I do to improve this?