Cale Dancho

About Me

Hello, I'm Cale (K-ALE), a Senior Professional Service Program Manager at GitLab.

I have had a long career as a technical program manager, working software programs in Education, Big Data/Advertising, Finance, DevOps, and now DevSecOps at GitLab.

I have just about every agile based certification, but have learned through my career that what makes me successful is that I come from a good place, am great at building relationships, and always willing to learn.

Work Style

I'm a value-based Agilist, doing what it takes to get things done. I believe in honoring Agile practices that serve the team and do not get in the way.

I'm located in Denver, CO, USA, in the Mountain Time Zone (currently MDT/UTC-6). I typically work between 8am-5pm Mountain time, but occasionally send messages outside standard business time, especially when collaborating with our geographically dispearsed teams. Please feel free to read and respond when it's convenient for you. There is no expectation for immediate replies to after-hours communications.

Internally at GitLab, the best way to reach me is through @mention on Slack.

Working Agreements

I believe in perspective, and my perspective is my own. I believe successful teams thrive when we openly communicate our values and expectations rather than leaving them unspoken. This transparency enables every team member to contribute meaningfully and collaborate effectively.

I value the following:

• I like to be seen as a team member, not an authority figure.
• My value extends beyond setting up meetings and sending status reports.
  • I do those things, but if you ask me to set up a meeting, I might respectfully ask what is preventing you from doing the same.
• I will always assume positive intent and acknowledge that throughout the entire project, each team member will do the best they can, given their experience level and perspective.
• I strive to make work transparent to our colleagues and customers using GitLab Collaboration Project and collaboration tools.
• I honor commitments to my teammates and to our customers. If we commit to doing something, we follow through within expected timelines. If we can't meet a timeline, let's be honest about sharing that and figuring out how to set a revised one.

About Me (Personal)

Bikes get my crazies out. My quiver is diverse and always expanding, S-1.

In the winter, I snowboard and have found great joy in earning my turns on a splitboard.

My pop culture references are often stale. I have an affinity for emoji and gif use. I like to make people laugh with my goofiness, but my style often makes people go, "huh?"