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What Is a Personal User Manual? (2022)

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Re: What Is a Personal User Manual? (2022)

#61

Post by p_l »

flir wrote: post #57
p_l wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is anyone honestly providing useful information a moron? At least if the "PUM" is in private context.

> At least if the "PUM" is in private context. Surely it would available, at an absolute minimum, to anyone within the org who is going to communicate with you, otherwise what's the point?

By "private" I meant "not on public internet and in view of automated systems and their recruiter lackeys"[1] ;)

[1] I've met good recruiters, but sometimes it feels like automated systems are taking over and running roughshod over people, including recruiters.

Re: What Is a Personal User Manual? (2022)

#62

Post by pcl »

pif wrote: post #22

This looks to me as the idiocy of the pronouns, on steroids. They both are based on the wrong assumption that people have to ask your opinion before contacting you, while communication has always been based on shared standards. Normality exists. It's not something to tend to, but it exists and must be recognized and respected, and everybody is expected to do their share in conforming to normality.

I’d say pronouns are a pretty different thing than this.

> everybody is expected to do their share in conforming to normality.

This is a regressive approach to the world. There are lots of past normals that are pretty terrible. I’m glad that our history is filled with people who were strong enough to be nonconformists, so that I can thrive in a world relatively free of religious persecution, racial profiling, classism, etc. And I am more than happy to stand up to regressive norms of today on behalf of other marginalized groups.

Re: What Is a Personal User Manual? (2022)

#63

Post by Kye »

jasoncartwright wrote: post #55
georgespencer wrote: post #36

I think either Adam Bryant (organizational psychology at Wharton) or Erin Meyer (same at INSEAD) turned me on to this idea. I think it's generally a good one to (very slightly) accelerate new working relationships to a place of trust, and the emotional pearl-clutching in this thread is interesting to observe. The best examples I've seen of such manuals (and the best working relationships that have been informed by th…

Amusing to read that I am "very upset"

If only there were some document where you share whether or not you would be open to feedback on how you came off. That would save someone the trouble of asking and wasted time if it's a no.

Re: What Is a Personal User Manual? (2022)

#65

Post by Rayhem »

phoenixy1 wrote: post #7

These were popular at my workplace maybe seven years ago, and while I was into the idea at first, IMO it was impractical most of the time. Turns out it's a pretty unreasonable burden to place on people that they should read and follow instructions in a document in order to communicate with someone and to personalize their work approach for every person they interact with. The main context these make sense in is when…

> "here's what you should have prepared for our 1:1s"

Tangentially, I'd like to survey attitudes about this kind of 1:1. I'm of the opinion that my 1:1 with my manager is my time to discuss my thoughts and needs. If a manager is assigning me homework so I can "come prepared" for yet another status update, they can sacrifice their time to make that meeting happen.

Re: What Is a Personal User Manual? (2022)

#66

Post by earth-adventure »

jasoncartwright wrote: post #55
georgespencer wrote: post #36

I think either Adam Bryant (organizational psychology at Wharton) or Erin Meyer (same at INSEAD) turned me on to this idea. I think it's generally a good one to (very slightly) accelerate new working relationships to a place of trust, and the emotional pearl-clutching in this thread is interesting to observe. The best examples I've seen of such manuals (and the best working relationships that have been informed by th…

Amusing to read that I am "very upset"

"Users on HN are outraged over suggested positive feedback manual".

Re: What Is a Personal User Manual? (2022)

#67

Post by brnt »

phoenixy1 wrote: post #7

These were popular at my workplace maybe seven years ago, and while I was into the idea at first, IMO it was impractical most of the time. Turns out it's a pretty unreasonable burden to place on people that they should read and follow instructions in a document in order to communicate with someone and to personalize their work approach for every person they interact with. The main context these make sense in is when…

Almost like we need API's for interpersonal communication, which, as long as we all adhere to them, remove many of the difficulties.

Re: What Is a Personal User Manual? (2022)

#68

Post by happiness_idx »

phoenixy1 wrote: post #7

These were popular at my workplace maybe seven years ago, and while I was into the idea at first, IMO it was impractical most of the time. Turns out it's a pretty unreasonable burden to place on people that they should read and follow instructions in a document in order to communicate with someone and to personalize their work approach for every person they interact with. The main context these make sense in is when…

This is honestly for a subset of the population the needs special catering. I can see things like disabilities, pronouns, and trigger words going into something like this.

I also can see this a hinderence to our general interpersonal communication.

Re: What Is a Personal User Manual? (2022)

#69

Post by karmajunkie »

happiness_idx wrote: post #68
phoenixy1 wrote: post #7

These were popular at my workplace maybe seven years ago, and while I was into the idea at first, IMO it was impractical most of the time. Turns out it's a pretty unreasonable burden to place on people that they should read and follow instructions in a document in order to communicate with someone and to personalize their work approach for every person they interact with. The main context these make sense in is when…

This is honestly for a subset of the population the needs special catering. I can see things like disabilities, pronouns, and trigger words going into something like this. I also can see this a hinderence to our general interpersonal communication.

one might also position it this way: “most people probably don’t feel the need for a document like this because they believe their preferences are the default for most people.”
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