Want to understand what your colleagues need to thrive? Try a user manual
When it comes to work preferences, we all have our own unique style.
Some of us prefer Slack; some prefer Zoom. Some of us are most creative in the morning and others have caregiving responsibilities that require flexible scheduling.
Whatever our preferences, it can often take co-workers months — even years — to figure out what we truly need to thrive in the workplace, from the way we like to communicate to how we prefer to receive feedback.
What if there were a way to speed-up that getting-to-know-you process and signal to colleagues that we truly value and support their personal approach?
Samantha Ragland, vice president of journalism programs at the American Press Institute, says encouraging colleagues to fill out a personal “user manual” can be a valuable tool.
During a recent Gather Lightning Chat, she said she’s found them to be “the path of least resistance” for understanding how to help journalism colleagues thrive. She’s emphasizing user manuals as part of the Leadership Reset series through API.
“You can either be on a team and spend years trying to figure out what people’s triggers are, how they like to be communicated with or not. Or, you can have a user manual, and say: ‘Here’s everything that you need to know in order for us to have a thriving relationship while we’re working together,’” she said.
jesikah maria ross, a community engaged journalism consultant, put it this way: “It’s like the CliffsNotes of how to create the best team with this person.”
What’s a user manual?
User manuals are most often a written, two-to-five page document in which employees reflect on their work needs. Long-embraced in corners of the tech industry, user manuals can be a handy way to learn about your colleagues’ work style.
They’re often offered early on in the employment process, and can reveal insights into personal questions like:
What energizes you as an employee?
What drains you?
How do you like to receive feedback?
How do you like to disagree?
Here’s an example of a user manual in action.
The idea is to surface tangible, actionable insights that can help managers support and empower employees as they grow in their roles.
More broadly, Ragland says user manuals can be a tool for nurturing a healthy work culture. If implemented in a thoughtful way, they can convey a message to employees that trust and transparency are valued by their supervisor — and that worker needs are taken seriously.
User manuals can also be valuable for the person filling them out. After all, a day in journalism is often packed with deadlines, breaking news and other responsibilities. It’s rare to have an opportunity for self-reflection and discovery. Answering detailed questions about work needs can encourage deep-thinking about how we can bring our fullest selves to our jobs.
Tips
Intrigued by user manuals and want to give them a shot in your workplace? The panel — and participants on the call — shared some key insights as well as potential pitfalls that are worth considering.
- Go first. User manuals require opening up and being vulnerable. So if you’re a manager, it’s good idea to take the plunge first. Be open and honest. A good user manual must be authentic to your leadership style.
- Create time and space. It’s possible this kind of exercise could come across as an add-on to the regular workload, so make sure your employees feel supported to put in the work. Make it part of the workflow. A deadline can be helpful.
- Use the guide as a catalyst for conversation. The value isn’t just in the user manual itself but in how you use it. Talk through the insights with colleagues. Get to understand the nuances. Learn about each other on a human level, and keep that conversation going.
- Keep them updated. Ragland said user manuals should not be a one-and-done process. It can be a good idea to update them annually as you learn more about yourself and your co-workers. Most employees’ approach to work evolves with time and experience.
- Tread lightly. Since opening up and sharing your work style with colleagues requires vulnerability, managers must be sensitive in their approach. Keep in mind: it might take a while to build trust with a co-worker before initiating the process. Ragland doesn’t advise coming in as a new manager and instituting user manuals right away. Give it time.
- Make it count. If you ask employees to put in the work on a user manual, it’s essential to follow-through. One risk with these kinds of exercises is that they come across as inauthentic, performative or as if a manager is simply checking a box. If that’s the case, a process designed with the best of intentions could backfire. Think hard about how you want to use this document and explore ways to integrate it into performance reviews and other key parts of the work journey.
Go further
Here are some additional resources to help you learn more about user manuals and implement them in your workplace.
Todd Milbourn, newsroom training manager at Industry Dive, was Gather’s Guest Curator for the month of December 2022.
