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Imagine joining a team and instantly knowing how to work well with your manager or colleague. No awkward guesswork, no stumbling through miscommunications. That’s what a Personal ReadMe unlocks.

It’s a short, thoughtful document that outlines how to work with you effectively. Think of it as your professional user manual, a quick-start guide that answers questions like:

• How do you work best?
• What’s your preferred communication style?
• What are the values and quirks others should be aware of?

In the absence of hallway conversations and nonverbal signals, this simple document fills in the blanks.

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Why Create a Personal ReadMe?

Clarity and context are everything in a remote-first environment. A Personal ReadMe gives your colleagues a head start by making your preferences visible from day one.

Here’s why it matters:

• It builds trust faster - You’re removing the guesswork about how to collaborate
• It speeds up onboarding - New hires get an instant understanding of your working style
• It reduces unnecessary meetings - A ReadMe becomes a reusable resource that answers common questions quickly
• It enhances your AI tooling. Personal ReadMes work great as a prompt for AI tools like ChatGPT, letting them better personalize suggestions to your work style
• It supports async coverage - If you’re out of office, your ReadMe can serve as a lightweight assistant. Point people to it or even train your own bot to answer FAQs based on it

Simply having this doc puts you ahead of most remote professionals. You become easier to work with and reduce unnecessary misunderstandings.

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What Should You Include?

There’s no one-size-fits-all format, but most strong ReadMes include information like:

• Work hours, sync hours, and availability
• Preferred tools and communication channels
• How you like to receive feedback
• What areas you’re responsible for
• What risks others should be aware of
• Core values or principles that guide your work

You can include personal tidbits too (like hobbies or personality assessments) to help people understand the human behind the screen.

The best ReadMes are short enough to read in under five minutes, but detailed enough to help someone feel confident working with you. Consider what you wish you’d known about a past teammate or manager. That’s what your ReadMe should cover.

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Examples to Explore

Need inspiration? Check these out:

• ​My Example – written for community members (use this template if you'd like the same format)
• ​Bruce Wang - a straightforward GitHub-style ReadMe (and my personal favorite)
• ​49 Manager ReadMes from Slack, Netflix, Google and more (a lot more)

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A Personal ReadMe is about filling in the blanks. When you make your preferences and values clear, you can jumpstart collaboration with your team.

If you haven’t written one yet, take 30 minutes this week and start. It’s one of the highest-leverage documents you can create as a remote professional.

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In Case You Missed It

​April Favorites​
Last week, I shared my favorite lessons, reads, and shares of April.

​AI Recipe: Your First AI Bot Assistant (in Just 15 Minutes)​
In a recent Idea Kitchen recipe, I shared how to save time by letting AI answer FAQs for you 24/7 (no code required).

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Work Forward Society Want to meet others who do work differently? Join us in making 2025 your year of less meetings and more real work! Join The Work Forward Society →

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What did you think of this issue? What do you hope to see in the next one? Hit reply and let me know. I read every response. I truly appreciate you taking the time to read this. Hope you have a lovely day! Marissa ​Founder, Remote Work Prep​ P.S. Did you enjoy this issue? Share the article with a friend. Struggling with a remote work problem? Book a coaching call. If you liked this, consider supporting this free newsletter by leaving a testimonial. ​

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