Collaboration Values

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These values define how we work in Anoma research & engineering :slightly_smiling_face: – and on these forums.

Basic interpersonal interaction standards are governed by the Contributor’s Covenant.

Values

Communication

We value communication.

  • Clear and effective communication is the basic substrate on top of which all else is built. In a remote-first environment with team members from diverse countries, cultures, and backgrounds, good communication can be difficult but is all the more essential.
  • We communicate directly and honestly. Communication should respect the limited time and attention of the counterparty and state questions, concerns, or ideas clearly.
  • We communicate respectfully and kindly. Anoma is not an easy project, and our colleagues deserve our respect and care, even and especially when we encounter problems or difficulties in our work. By default, we assume good intentions, even when the exact sentiment across a video call, a language barrier, or a cultural difference may be ambiguous.
  • If you have a new idea, your first two jobs are:
    • To write it down, and
    • To communicate it to someone else
      These can happen in any order, but they are always the first two steps. Ideas aren’t real until they’re communicated.
  • If you want to ask someone about something, reach out! You do not need any sort of organizational permission to talk to anybody, ever. Some people prefer writing, some people like video or audio calls, but since many of us are sitting alone at our desks often, most of us are open to co-working and discussions.

Individual freedom and collective service

We value individual freedom and collective service.

  • The value of Anoma research & engineering to the world is in its synthesis of individual perspectives into a collective whole. Individual freedom means that individuals are free and able to express their true preferences and honest thoughts, while collective service means that we all must choose what to do not based on our personal proclivities but rather based on what others, the organization, and the project most need.
  • When making decisions, we solicit inputs from the people whose work the decision will affect, and do our best to synthesize and consider their needs. We also make sure that decisions are communicated to those they impact and check to make sure any changes in previous plans or processes have been understood.

Understanding

We value understanding.

  • Understanding a concept, idea, or plan means three things:
    • Understanding what the concept, idea, or plan is - how does it work? How would one write it down? How would one implement it in code or action?
    • Understanding how the concept, idea, or plan relates to the overall goals of the organization and the Anoma project - how does this help Anoma?
    • Understanding how the concept, idea, or plan relates to one’s own individual or team responsibilities - what does this mean for me?
  • When communicating, discussing, and planning, we seek these three understandings.

Critique

We value critique.

  • Critique is not the same as criticism. Criticism is just an articulation of dislike, while critique requires an understanding of the goal and the elucidation of why a particular solution might not be the best choice.
    • Criticism: I don’t like X.
    • Critique: If your goal is Z, I think X might not be as suitable a solution as Y, because…
  • Shallow criticism is commonplace (just open Twitter) but good critique is rare and valuable.
  • When correcting others, we are polite, focus on the material, and point out incoherent arguments, without attacking the person. Critique is about ideas, not people.

Ownership and accountability

We value ownership and accountability.

  • Ownership means that individuals and teams have clear areas of responsibility, where they are both granted the autonomy to make choices in how best to execute in their area as they see fit and the expectation of delivering outputs (be those ideas, specs, or code) which fit the requirements negotiated with other teams on the timelines they have committed to.
  • Promises made are not only promises to the promisee, but promises to the whole organization, because the promisee makes promises which will rely on the promises made to them, etc. - predictable coordination of work in the organization is dependent on promise-keeping. Accountability means that it is your responsibility to keep your promises, and to communicate if you cannot.
  • We give credit where credit is due. We cite sources of ideas, contributions, and assistance, and we work to empower colleagues to grow and develop their abilities over time.

Humility

We value humility.

  • Good ideas can come from anywhere, regardless of background, academic credentials, culture, age, or other such characteristics. We are open to new ideas and ways of doing things. At the same time, we also value the deep expertise of others, and defer when appropriate.
  • We strive to not have too much ego, because it can get in the way. If we are wrong, we want to be corrected by our colleagues, or at least have a discussion to convince them that we’re not. In either case, the organization learns.
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