Product Analytics/Team norms

Expectations for work & off hours

 * Team core work hours: 9 AM - 11 AM Pacific time, Monday - Thursday
 * We generally expect the team to be available for meetings and questions during these hours
 * If you are not available during these hours, mark it on your calendar
 * Time off should be time off! Block time off on your calendar, set email vacation messages, and redirect questions to the team email address.
 * Make sure to advertise when you’re working and when youre not: block off vacation days and non-work hours on your calendar, set a vacation auto-responder.
 * Keep the office wiki contact list up to date with ways to reach your when you are not working. Only use these methods to contact people if the issue absolutely cannot wait or be handled by someone else (this should happen very, very rarely).

Meetings

 * Be present: avoid doing other things during meetings (unless you're presenting or taking notes, of course).
 * Text messages are the same as talking. Feel free to send them, but be aware they're just as interrupting as saying the same thing out loud.
 * Try to stay unmuted during meetings so the conversation feels more natural. This may take some work to achieve (for example, buying a good headset to minimize background noise).
 * Be aware of how much you're talking: if you're talking a lot, consider leaving space for others. If you're only talking a little, consider whether you have something to say.
 * Don't be afraid to eat a snack during a meeting (just mute yourself while you do!). Similarly, if you need a quick bathroom break, it's fine to step away briefly.
 * The person who requests a meeting should put it on the calendar.

Communication

 * Make it so you don’t get notifications about work communications (emails or chats) when you’re not working. That way, you can really recharge during your off hours and people don’t have to worry whether you’re working before sending a ping.
 * By default, we don’t expect emails or chats to be “urgent”; we understand people may be unavailable during heads down work or in meetings. If a message or question is urgent, preface it with [URGENT]
 * In chats, try not to send multiple messages when you can use one. For example, when asking a question, put the question in the same message as your greeting.
 * Unless you want something to be private, use main channels (email or Slack) for discussion and questions so the rest of the team can benefit and help.

Collaboration

 * Mentor and share knowledge: Demonstrate and share lines of code, ad hoc commands, and general understanding. Don’t be afraid to ask a question, even if you think it’s basic.
 * Feedback is valuable! Offer specific & actionable praise, constructive criticism, or alternative solutions.
 * Apologize for and acknowledge behavior we seek to avoid when it has happened: A team of humans will experience being tired, frustrated, and overwhelmed. Mutual respect is the only currency we have to navigate these challenges long-term. Demonstrating that respect means acknowledging its value.
 * Forgiveness is a conscious, intentional, and deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment. Take a breath. Take a walk.
 * Practice healthy debate. Avoid petty controversies, but don’t shy away from raising problems if exposing them is helpful. Think twice before criticizing if you don’t have a different proposal to suggest, and always make sure to clearly acknowledge the necessary work that has been done.