John Riecke

Background

About John Riecke

About Me My personality is quiet, but combative when I have a strongly held opinion backed by facts. I’ve been told that I prefer to skip the BS and get straight to the point. Operating Approach I like to work quietly, in productive sprints, with downtime for recovery. I have 1:1 meetings with my team on a bi-weekly basis, building from casual check-in, to monthly goal check, to quarterly review. I tend to handle things without input from above unless I specifically need resolution for something that I don’t have authority to handle myself. I keep a project list and update it regularly, making sure that there is steady progress. I’m less concerned with deadlines than steady improvements; if the process is correct then the goal is inevitable, so I work to make sure the process is reasonable, accepted by consensus, and unforgotten. I’m equally willing to try incremental approaches or clean-page solutions, but my tolerance for imperious or unthoughtful direction is low. Management Style My management style has been described as “not micro-managey.” I’m very hands-off, intervening when requested or when I see progress stalling out, but my team knows I'm always available to them for advice and knowledge. My default position is to trust my team, and trust that that they will bring me in when they need my help. My decision-making process is informed by my goals: Will this make life easier (work smarter not harder) and will my team learn useful skills from it? Is the decision fair and equitable or off-the-cuff with unexamined consequences? I’m very collaborative and include my team in finding solutions. I look for ideas, improvements, and successes from my team members to compliment them on. I try to give them responsibilities that puts their successes in view of upper management. Supporting You I’m here to help. If you need me please speak up. I appreciate all the information and context that you give me, the more the better; I cannot make informed decisions without all the information available. My opinions are strong but can be swayed by evidence. I will always fight for my team. I will always try to make our jobs easier, because that’s how you improve efficiency and thereby productivity.