Vaishnavi Mohan - User guide
Who am I?
Hi, I'm Vaishnavi Mohan, currently based in Chennai, India. Growing up in Bombay and Trivandrum, I was exposed to various languages and cuisines, which helped me develop an appreciation for diverse cultures.
My happy comforts include Poor Jokes, Filter Coffee, Chai and Onion Rava Dosais, but I also enjoy exploring new experiences. I'm currently learning to play drums and training for a Himalayan trek later this year.
Professionally, I'm an Engineering Manager at Fyle, where I've been a part of the engineering team for over four years. During this time, I've witnessed the team's growth and evolution firsthand. Prior to Fyle, I was as an early engineering member at Paper.vc.
What is a User Guide and what is my motive to have one?
Along the way, through my experience working in two different startups - I've picked up a few ways and learned how to manage my work effectively, adapt to various situations and collaborate with different colleagues, whether they're on my team or part of other cross-functional teams.
In an effort to create clarity and promote self-reflection - I've decided to document my work style, blind spots or areas for growth and ways in which people can build trust with me. As a Manager at Fyle, I believe it's essential to lead by example and encourage others to do the same.
At Fyle, we're encouraged to develop a User Guide for ourselves, which provides new team members with a clear understanding of our working style and preferences. I believe that creating such a guide will help any new member ease into working with me and allow us to establish a productive and successful working relationship.
How to make the most of the non-operational 1x1s with me?
Building an open and honest dialogue is a crucial element for me in fostering a strong working relationship with my team members. When feedback is shared openly and without hesitation, it becomes a simple act of observation-driven and action-suggesting conversation.
I find it incredibly helpful to set a clear agenda and take crisp notes during meetings. This practice ensures that we stay focused on the topics at hand and avoid straying off course, while also providing a clear record of action items and progress tracking.
In addition, I schedule discussions every alternate week that focus on career goals and progress. Prior to these meetings, I encourage everyone to reflect on their own progress and take notes, which we then discuss together for 30-45 minutes. This approach helps ensure that we are actively working towards our individual goals while also assist a sense of collaboration and accountability within the team.
P. S. I'm also up for any some non-work banter 🤓, if you want to chat about anything in general - I'm all ears!
Quick questions to help you deal with me better -
What are my preferred work timings?
I find routines to be very helpful, and I try to maintain a consistent work schedule as much as possible. Typically, I begin my workday around 10am and finish up around 6pm. I particularly enjoy taking a lunch break and savouring a cup of chai during the day. 🙂
What is the best mode to reach out to me?
Slack public channels > Slack direct messages > Emails > Phone calls.
Although Slack public channel tags / notes grab my initial attention, DMs are preferred as a 1x1 space for discussing feedback, leave schedule, gentle reminders and general banter.
The best way to schedule work meetings with me - (unless it is an emergency) scheduling calls at least a day prior with an agenda that can help set the context prior.
What are my Out Of Office schedules like?
In my opinion, it's important to have a life outside of work to maintain a healthy balance and gain a better perspective on my goals. By taking the time to plan my schedule and block out my calendar weeks in advance, I can better manage my workload and set realistic timelines for myself.
What is my preferred way to stay updated on Initiatives I work with?
Async updates > Sync up calls.
The goal is to avoid surprises. With transparency being the key when it comes to managing expectations; we strive to never overpromise and underdeliver.
To achieve this, we make sure to provide regular updates on our progress and communicate any feedback in a timely manner. By tracking our progress and keeping everyone in the loop, we can work together to better estimate and prioritize our roadmap initiatives.
As any team continues to evolve and grow, I believe it is useful to reach a space where each team member takes ownership of communicating timelines, delays, or any blockers encountered during the implementation of an initiative.
What is the one area am currently looking to improve on?
Finding the right balance between technical and managerial responsibilities is an ongoing challenge for me as an engineering manager - the right balance between providing technical guidance to my team members and empowering them to make technical decisions on their own. On one hand, I want to ensure that we're making the best technical decisions for our product and that my team is learning and growing in their technical skills. On the other hand, I want to give them the autonomy to make their own decisions and take ownership of their work.
That’s it from me - thanks for reading!
Disclaimer - While I cannot guarantee that this document will always be updated in a timely manner, it serves as a snapshot of who I am as of March 2023. Ultimately, I believe that building strong relationships and open communication is key to success in any team. I look forward to getting to know each other better through our conversations, and I would prefer for this document to simply serve as a precursor to those discussions.