Asynchronous agile

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Personal user manual

A personal user manual is a document or guide that outlines your working style, preferences, and communication style, with the aim of helping others understand how to best interact with you. It is essentially a set of guidelines that explains how to work with you effectively.

The idea of a personal user manual is to make it easier for people to collaborate with you, whether it's your colleagues, team members, or even friends and family. By sharing this information, you can help others understand your strengths and weaknesses, your communication style, your expectations, and your preferred working methods.

Typically, a personal user manual includes sections on topics such as:

  • Working style: How you like to work, including your preferences for communication, collaboration, and feedback.

  • Strengths and weaknesses: What you're good at, and what you struggle with, so others can understand how to best support you.

  • Personal values: What matters to you, and what motivates you, so others can understand your priorities.

  • Communication style: How you prefer to communicate, including your preferred channels, frequency, and tone.

  • Expectations: What you expect from others, and what others can expect from you, so there are no misunderstandings.

Creating a personal user manual can be a valuable exercise for anyone looking to improve their communication and collaboration skills, both in and outside of work. It can also be a useful tool for managers or team leaders to share with their team members to improve team dynamics and productivity.

Here’s an example of what a personal user manual can look like.