Important Work Things

Perhaps I could have come up with a better name for this list, but I think it captures what I want to write about. Plus, it was the first name that I thought of at the time - which was some time around July 2022.

I have changed a few workplaces now, not always by choice (one company went bankrupt, another time I had to move to another country). So last year, while looking for a new job, I spent a couple of hours to think about and write down what I find most important in a work environment. What I have realized is important for me. Things that if they are there will help me wake up every morning and keep me motivated. And if they are not there, then I will be counting the minutes until I can log off, and possibly my whole personal life will suffer.

Being comfortable, having fun, enjoying the work, having random discussions with colleagues are all really, really important things, at least for me. I do tend to spend somewhere between 8 to 10 hours per day working or thinking/talking about work…

Here’s my list of Important Work Things. Not prioritized but you can consider a group of “top 3” of the first 3 and a group of “top 5” of the first 5.

1. Teamwork

The whole of the team should be aligned. They must have a common goal, know it, remember it often, and be able to clearly state it to others. Everyone should get along with everyone inside the team.

Transparency, openness, 24/7 direct feedback, through radical candor, should be a common habit.

Regular team activities help enhance the team’s bond(s), both outside but also during working hours.

The team must trust each other. They must be able to work together, on the same thing, at the same time. They must have standards and adhere to them. They must resolve arguments fast and not let them fester (the Team Lead/Manager plays a huge role in this).

They must do planning sessions and retrospectives.

There should be regular and not hasty 1-1s, perhaps weekly or bi-weekly, and lengthy feedback sessions, perhaps 2-4 times per year.

2. Ownership

I should be able to know where my team’s “kingdom” lies. What are the things that we are responsible for, but also own.

We must know what are the tools we have, the restrictions we face. How much can we decide by ourselves, how much can we suggest things, how much are we being listened to, especially on the things we own, but also on other topics.

Can we change some tools? Can we change some processes? Can we expand our kingdom? Can we bring more people in? Can we form our own roadmap? These are important questions that need answering.

3. Growth

I want to feel challenged, but also supported by my peers and manager.

I want to tackle new technology and new ideas, and be able to cultivate them. I like being able to share ideas and discuss them openly and constantly.

I want a place where feedback is provided for the betterment of the person, the team and the company.

I want to work with people who can and do teach me things, either directly or indirectly.

I want my manager to have a plan for me, my peers and my team, and support it wholeheartedly.

I want to be able to grow my leadership skills, to have opportunities to shine, to work on (and with) my strengths, to face my weaknesses, and supportively make them less of a weakness.

4. Salary

The pay should be good. Should be enough to make a living, and support a family.

It should also be enough so as not to feel jealous of people is similar positions in other companies. But, it should also be equal as my colleagues' who do the same work as me.

The salary should not stay stagnant. 2-3 reviews per year, possibly accompanied by small raises is a very nice thing to expect. An inflation raise per year is a must.

Ideally, the budget for the position is to be said without any “tricks” during the first interview for the position.

5. Culture

Company-wide culture is something that goes beyond any single team, or group of people. Culture is being driven by leaders, executives, directors and managers.

It is being enjoyed and felt by all employees, from their first day. It is being adopted by all. It is being “watered” and take care of, nurtured by some People-Ops department, but also by individuals or groups of individuals (for example via clubs).

Culture can be a post-mortem, a regular greeting, a kind message, a dedicated Slack channel, a feedback methodology, leaves, sick leaves, social events, town-hall meetings, company and team goals, office spaces, decorations and more.

6. Purpose

It is very nice to have a sense of purpose, a direction, a goal that provides some meaning to the daily work.

In other words, I like having the knowledge and feeling that what I am working on, what I collaboratively create, is for the betterment of society, of specific people or scientific-related, or maybe something that is just “testing the waters” or advancing some human field of knowledge.

I like to think that what I do has a net positive impact or footprint on humanity.

What is the point of a tobacco company or a gambling company?

7. Recognition

Our work must be visible, tangible.

We do not work in the shadows, we don’t just keep things running. We innovate, we make processes more efficient, deployments less prone to failure, applications more responsive, more fault-tolerant, and faster.

We help other teams do their work in more efficient and compliant ways. We work with OSS tools, we contribute to them. We blog about our good work, and we present our work to others. We take part in meetings, meetups and summits.

Our good work is recognized by peers and managers. We get rewarded for it.