Anurag Banerjee

How to Work With Me

A “user” manual for working with me. I will be updating this on a regular basis. This is inspired by the article This is How You Revolutionize the Way Your Team Works Together… And All It Takes is 15 Minutes by David Politis, Founder and CEO at BetterCloud.

What are some honest, unfiltered things about you?

  • I’m an INFJ. So, while you might think we might not know/talk to each other as much, but if we are still talking then I know more about you than what you have told me.
  • I am generally very patient and understanding. I will go out of my way to help you (might even do it once on my own) but I start to put people behind a wall if I don’t see people putting any/considerable effort to do it/try themselves before. (see ‘What drives you nuts?’ for more)
  • I believe that here isn’t anything I can’t understand (or try to do) in principle, though learning does take time. This makes me impatient with people sometimes (it also makes me a lot more generous with people in other cases).
  • I prefer to think that I do not have a big Ego. I know, I know, there is no such thing as having “no ego”. What I mean is.. “there is no universal truth and everyone perceives others in their own flawed distorted sense of self awareness aka Ego. The evolution of the idea that one’s thought process is superior to others is distorted in the first place. The bottomline is to trust your ideas and have an open mind to accept others’ views.”

Nobody sees anybody truly but all through the flaws of their own egos. That is the way we all see …each other in life. Vanity, fear, desire, competition — all such distortions within our own egos — condition our vision of those in relation to us. Add to those distortions to our own egos the corresponding distortions in the egos of others, and you see how cloudy the glass must become through which we look at each other.

What drives you nuts?

  • The thing that drives me nuts the most is Ignorance.
  • People who tell me what I shouldn’t do or even more infuriatingly what I can’t do, especially is there’s no clear reason for this. (again closely related to ignorance).
  • I’m not a fan of power or authority. Logic/reasoning trumps everything.
  • Hearing the phrase “this is not my job” or the likes of it.
  • and last but not the least, I don’t like dealing with big egos that become the centerpiece/ distraction to why are here in the first place i.e., to solve a problem. I can relate to your Ego but I can’t force you out of it.

What are your quirks?

  • I’m not comfortable in unstructured social situations like parties or dinners.
  • I think in metaphors. I’m not linear; I’ll jump very rapidly from limited context to an explanation — and I’’ll explain why. (But I don’t mind being correct of this .. I wouldn’t take this personally if you tell me my understanding is flawed — of course, with reason)

How can people earn an extra gold star with you?

  • Be supportive. Be reliable. Be some I can count on. Keep your word.
  • Focusing on WHY something needs to be done instead of WHAT. Processes are just means to an end.

What qualities do you particularly value in people who work with you?

  • Independence and innovation. I like people who find solutions rather than problems. Criticisms are easy. Solutions are hard. Making things work is hard.
  • Dedication. I prefer it when people value what they are doing, when it’s more than just a job.

What are some things that people might misunderstand about you that you should clarify?

  • It’s very hard for me to initiate communication with someone (I’m just awkward that way) and I would much rather have people come to me (conversely, if I have initiated communication with you, I have already done something very hard, and so whatever it is important to me). Either way, I don’t think of you/anyone any lesser because of my preferences around communication.
  • Throughout the years, people tend to confide in me, tell me things which concerns/worries them, ask for opinion and more but this has no effect on how I work/function. I care about helping people and that is the only reason I engage with them. (If you want something escalated, qualify that clearly that you need me to intervene vs. me acting as a sounding board)

How do you coach people to do their best work and develop their talents?

  • I give people a lot of space to find their own way and create their own creative solutions.
  • I believe that the best way to learn is by making (not everything has a Manual) BUT learning from mistakes (i.e., not repeating them)
  • I am open and approachable and will provide any advice and support needed, if asked.

What’s the best way to communicate with you?

Before I do that, there are a few categories I classify communication into:

  • Urgent / Code Red (You know when you are in such a situation): In-person, Slack or Hangouts — if nothing works then call.
  • Need Action (Important but NOT Urgent): Email
  • Needs Discussion (Important): Slack or Hangouts; if required, put it on my calendar
  • Needs Discussion (Not Important): Slack or Hangouts
  • Status Updates: Never in-person, preferably on Email (on an existing thread for quick and easy reference)

Regardless of what type your request falls into, there are some basic expectations:

  • Always qualify explicitly on where our conversation falls into in the above range else things might not get prioritized the right way.
  • Unless it is Urgent / Code Red category, I expect some level of planning or thought before being approached
  • For the discussions (Important or Not Important) that we have, document that somewhere (even if a simple one line note).
  • Ensure that due diligence is done before something is discussed again (especially around previously discussed notes)

What’s the best way to convince you to do something?

Ask me for help.

How do you like to give feedback?

I prefer a structured feedback mechanism, such as a regular report at a meeting, so that the recipient knows that it isn’t capricious or personal. Or comments on a document, so the criticism is structured around a common object.

How do you like to get feedback?

The same.

That said, there are times when we have to act immediately or smartly. Waiting for the structured meeting might not make sense in certain situation. If that is the case, feel free to do that at the moment when you feel it needs to be given.