Updates Lyle's README for new role

---

title: "Lyle Kozloff's README"

description: "Personal readme page for Lyle Kozloff, Director, Support Engineering, Global Readiness, GitLab"

job: "Director of Support, Global Readiness"

description: "Personal README page for Lyle Kozloff, Principal Technical Program Manager, GitLab"

job: "Principal Technical Program Manager"

---

### My Job

My job is to clear obstacles, set context, and build process. In general: to make your (work)

life easier, clearer and less stressful.

More, I have the privilege of helping you get better at things. I do this by helping you

set goals, providing feedback and acting as a voice of accountability.

I drive complex, cross-functional programs across GitLab that help

us achieve our business objectives. I work to align stakeholders, identify and mitigate risks,

manage dependencies, and proactively surface and solve large-scale organizational challenges.

### My Availability

Precious few things are more important than talking to you if you want to talk to me.

If you need to talk, let's talk. I'm here to enable your success - use me for that.

If you need to talk, let's talk. I'm here to help unblock your work and enable success.

I snooze my Slack notifications when I'm not available. If you think of something at 2 a.m.

it's 100% okay to send me a message. I *expect* that you will also control your notifications.

Nothing on my calendar is urgent unless specifically noted as such.

Nothing on my calendar is urgent unless specifically noted as such. If I need time I will specifically denote it as "DNB" (that is, "Do Not Book").

### Communication preferences

in `gitlab-com/support`.

1. **Slack**: I prefer Slack for most short interactions and questions. Avoid private messages when you can.

1. **Zoom**: As noted above, I'm always available for a video call.

1. **Email**: Email is my notification channel. I've sent less than 500 emails and received more than 40,000 in the 2+ years between Jan 2018 and Feb 2020. Nearly all of those emails were to people outside of GitLab.

1. **Email**: Email is my notification channel. My email send / receipt ratio is ~1%. Nearly all of those emails were to people outside of GitLab.

1. **Phone**: I have a phone, but often reject or screen calls from unknown numbers. This isn't the best way to get in touch.

#### Notification Priorities

   1. Other items

1. Email Uncategorized - unknown risk and priority for categorizing trends

1. Calendar invites - affects availability

1. Support Team Meta - be aware of what's going on in the team

1. General notifications from GitLab (subscribed issues and such)

#### Other meetings

### My Assumptions

- **You're good at your job**

- **You know the team priorities and how they fit in with your personal priorities**

- **You will ask for help if you need it**

- **You feel safe pushing back**

- **You understand how your work connects to broader organizational objectives**

- **You'll raise blockers, dependencies, or risks early**

- **You feel safe pushing back and disagreeing constructively**

- **We'll tell each other if there's something we could have done better**

### Greatest Strengths / Greatest Weaknesses

**I'm a collaborative leader and accept input readily.** At its best, this means

you'll feel empowered. At its worst it means that you'll feel like I don't have a

vision for what I want.

you'll feel heard and included in decisions. At its worst it means that you'll feel 

like I don't have a clear vision or direction.

- **What to do if it's the worst**: Tell me that you're not clear on my expectations

and that my apparent indecision is blocking progress.

- **What to do if it's the worst**: Tell me that you're not clear on the direction

or that my apparent indecision is blocking progress.

**I reprioritize constantly.** At its best, this means that important and impactful

things get done quickly. At its worst, it means that I miss a deliverable that

by. Check in on progress. I don't mind being managed up; if what I'm prioritizing

doesn't match your priorities I should be able to articulate what's blocking me.

**I operate my teams with a high degree of trust**: At its best, this means that

you are free to prioritize the tasks that you feel are the most impactful. At its

worst this means you may feel like I don't care what you're working on.

**I assume good intent and trust people to own their domains**: At its best, this means 

you have the autonomy to make decisions and prioritize work in ways that make sense for 

your context. At its worst this means you may feel like I'm disengaged or not providing 

enough strategic direction on the program.

- **What to do if it's the worst**: Generally, I will only step in if you can't find

a solution, you need my help or you've hit a blocker. Keep me informed, and be

clear if you're in one of the above states.

- **What to do if it's the worst**: Let me know if you need more context, direction, or 

strategic input from me. I'm here to provide clarity on how your work connects to the 

broader program objectives.

**I try and protect my teams from crappy work by doing it myself**: At its best,

you'll be shielded from the small, annoying tasks that crop up.

**I try to shield the people I work with from low-value administrative work by doing it 

myself**: At its best, you'll be protected from small, annoying tasks that crop up.

At its worst, I'll be drowning in these tasks and I'll ask you to do something

that's (at best) half-done and probably overdue.

- **What to do if it's the worst**: If I'm setting myself up as a blocker, call me

on it. I try and build process after I have a full understanding of the problem

set, but sometimes I need a nudge before I feel its ready to hand off. Sometimes

on it. I try to build process after I have a full understanding of the problem

set, but sometimes I need a nudge before I feel it's ready to hand off. Sometimes

I misjudge the complexity or length of a task.

### Your development

### Learning and Growth

>

> *From the time you were very little, you've had people who have smiled you into

> smiling, people who have talked you into talking, sung you into singing, loved

One of the best ways to learn is to have excellence modeled and to copy it.

Therefore:

- Continue pairing after your onboarding is over.

- Attend crush sesions; ask questions.

- Pair with others after your onboarding is over.

- Attend enablement sessions and take courses; ask questions.

- Choose topics, seek out experts and relentlessly pursue them.

I want to help you grow. I can / will / have:

I'm passionate about helping people grow and learn, and I'm available for coaching and 

mentorship. I can / will / have:

- play the role of your conscience and ask you annoying questions about your progress

- ask challenging questions that help you think through problems differently

- be a "study buddy" and grow/learn together

- help you find projects that require you to learn in a certain area

- help you find opportunities and connections that support your growth

- cheer you on and broadcast your successes

#### Your development as a leader

I'm open to taking on mentees through GitLab's [mentorship programs](/handbook/people-group/learning-and-development/mentor/). 

If you're interested in working together, please reach out!

One of the most important pieces of my job is to help you grow as a leader. Some of

you may be people leaders, some of you may lead as individual contributors - but

your ability to influence decisions will be a determining factor you in your

immediate and future success. I will do my best to lend strength to your voice,

and help your ideas find their way into results.

#### Leadership at all levels

I believe that leadership happens at all levels - whether you're a people leader or 

leading as an individual contributor. Your ability to influence decisions and drive 

change is critical to your success and to GitLab's success.

I will do my best to lend strength to your voice, amplify good ideas, and help your 

ideas find their way into results. This is part of how I work with cross-functional 

partners and a responsibility I take seriously at the Principal level.

### Feedback

As with most managers, feedback is an area that I never feel like I give enough of.

If you're looking for feedback and I'm not offering it, it means I think

that you're doing just fine.

I value giving and receiving feedback, though it's an area I always want to improve.

I do look for opportunities to compliment wins, but I miss things. If you're proud of

something, please bring it up!

I look for opportunities to compliment wins and highlight great work, but I miss things. 

If you're proud of something, please bring it up!

If you're not getting feedback and you want some, please ask for feedback in a *specific* area:

If you'd like feedback or input from me, please ask for it in a *specific* area:

- "I'm not feeling confident about topic X, can you take a look at my work Y this week

and let me know how I did?"

- "This week I did X, even though we talked about doing Y, because of Z. Did I priotize correctly?"

- "Was this response clear?"

- "Should I be spending more time on X, or Y?"

- "Was my communication about X clear for your needs?"

- "Did the program update provide enough context for you to plan your work?"

- "Is this process/meeting structure working well for you?"

- "Should I be focusing more attention on X or Y for this initiative?"

This will help me give clear, timely feedback that will make a difference instead of a bumbling

"You're doing great!"

This helps me give clear, timely feedback that will make a difference instead of generic

praise.

#### Behaviours I value

Like you, I rely on feedback to improve. If you feel there is something I could do better,

please tell me! If I get salty, defensive or react negatively: call me on it.

If you don't feel comfortable addressing this with me directly, please tell my boss.

### 1<>1 Meetings

This is your meeting and your time: you set the agenda and determine what we talk about.

My most effective 1:1s have an agenda that builds up through the week, but I've had some

really great free-form ones as well. Don't feel bad if you don't come with something prepared.

If we don't have anything on the agenda, please expect me to try and get to know you better.

If you're struggling for topics, please include items that you've worked on this week.

I like hearing about situations in your week because:

- I always learn something

- I get data points that help me make global process improvements

- I get a picture of what things you're great at

- I begin to understand which things you struggle with

**Don't save urgent matters for a 1-1**

If you don't feel comfortable addressing this with me directly, please tell my manager or 

escalate through whatever channel feels appropriate.

### Strength of Feeling Scale