my communication readme

13 Jul 2021 - mrtn

I’ve discovered an interesting concept through a racket from Neil Studd: The communication readme.

The communication readme is a file, that clearly describes my personal preferences for communication. Why do I have a Readme?

We all are different and as much as I’d (sometimes) love to read minds, we usually have to resort to simpler means of communication. To make the process of communicating as smooth as possible, I decided to let you know.

How best to communicate with me?

I prefer a concise and clear message to a meeting every time. Just send me your question or whatever you have to say or want me feedback on and I’ll get back to you as soon as I’ve seen and resolved it. I hate phone calls/audio-only conversations. If you need me synchronously, I’d be glad if we would use our cameras. I also love to know before we start to meet, what the agenda of the meeting is, that i could come in prepared.

How do you book a meeting with me?

Typical working hours: 7AM to 4PM. Before and after this time, I’ll be with my family. I might see your DM, but if I can’t answer it straight away, I won’t respond until the next morning. Weekends are completely off limits.

If you are sending a meeting invitation without an Agenda, I will probably decline the appointment.

Icebreaker Topics

Family. My wife & kids are the most important people to me. Although I like my work, I’ll maximize on family-time whenever possible. CTFs. In my spare time, I’ll be trying to solve as much CTF challenges as possible. Got some recommendations for Hack The Box Boxes? Bring ‘em on! Gaming. From time to time I enjoy an hour or two in different Video Games. Dota 2, CS:GO, Valorant, League of Legends, Apex Legends - or nice atmospheric single player games like Metro: Last Light are totally my jam! Food. I love good food, cooking, eating, drinking - I’m all for recipe-sharing and restaurant-suggestions!

What quirks do I have which you should be aware of?

I prefer a breakfast-break to a classical lunch break. So you have better chances catching me between 12am and 1pm than between 9am and 10am. My office is on the sunny side of the roof - During summer i might complain about the heat, although it’s not too warm for you yet. It’s window points toward the garden. You might hear children play.

Things that frustrate me

DM’s that don’t get to the point. Don’t just “hi” and wait for me to reply. Emails with complicated quotations and replies to former emails. Or long email threads with lots of people. Meetings without Agendas. If you don’t know what you want to achieve, please don’t invite me to your meeting.