Oliver Wehrens
Seasoned Technology Leader. Mentor. Dad.
Oliver Wehrens

readme.md

Welcome

Welcome to my manager readme. The purpose of this documents is to help define our work relationsship. You can consider this a user guide for me.

What I Value

Happiness: Happy people create great products, which lead to happy customers.

Learning: The only real failure is not learning from our mistakes.

Clear Communication: Say what you mean, ask what you need—no need for fluff. I’m German, so I keep it as direct as you can.

Actions Over Words: Talk alone doesn’t get things done—actions do.

Leadership Everywhere: Leadership is about guiding and supporting others, not titles or tenure. I lead from behind as a servant lead.

Assumptions

You’re great at what you do. You wouldn’t be here otherwise. If I ask a lot of questions, it’s because I’m curious—I like to understand how things work. I taught myself programming at 12 just to figure out how computers operate, and that curiosity never left me. I always ask for the why.

You’ll tell me if something’s blocking you. My job is to set you up for success. Sometimes things fall through the cracks, and I might not realize I’m letting you down unless you tell me.

You feel safe challenging me. I believe the best ideas come from being examined from all angles. I welcome debate and enjoy being challenged.

Availability & Communication

Whether in person or remote, my preferred method of communication is what works best for you.

Feel free to drop time on my calendar, it is up-to-date, and the openings are for the taking.

If there is no time, reach out and I’ll make some. If it matters to you, it matters to me.

If it’s an emergency, make sure to let me know immediately!

Meetings A meeting without a clear agenda or purpose drains my energy—I’m guessing it does the same for you. If the goal isn’t clear, ask or just decline.

1:1s These are sacred. It’s your time to discuss what matters to you, not just a status update (unless that’s what you want). If I have to reschedule, I’ll do my best to make sure we still meet that week.

How can you help me?

Be a great teammate. Celebrate wins together, be honest and open—we all grow from it.

Do Amazing Work. This is the expectation. Let me know if there is something keeping you from accomplishing this.

Disagree with me. Good solutions come from healthy debate, we need to be comfortable separating ideas and egos.

Tell me if I screw up I’m not perfect, and I don’t pretend to be. If I make a mistake and don’t see it, tell me.

Things I struggle with

Asking for help. It’s not my strong suit.

Imposter syndrome. I often feel like I don’t know enough.

Patience. Slow progress can frustrate me.

If you notice any of this, call it out—I want to improve.

How I work

Own it. – I take full responsibility for what I do, from idea to impact. I am accountable.

Make it matter. – Every action should create real value. If it doesn’t help the customer, the team, or the business, I rethink it.

Improve relentlessly. – Good enough isn’t good enough. I learn, challenge myself and others, and raise the bar continuously.

Decisions. – I make my decisions based on data. I’ll ensure enough data is available. Then I decide.

Disagree and commit. – I may not always agree with our decision, but once it’s made, I commit to it.

This is how I strive to work—but I’m not perfect. If you notice me slipping, tell me!

Expectations to others

I expect a culture of ownership, transparency, and continuous improvement. Communication should be direct, open, and constructive, with a focus on problem-solving rather than blame. Healthy debate is encouraged, but once a decision is made, we commit to it. Work should be impact-driven, data-informed, and purposeful, avoiding unnecessary meetings and inefficiencies. Collaboration is key—we support each other, celebrate wins, and break down silos. I rely on my colleagues for alignment, honest feedback, and shared accountability, as well as for taking ownership of their work, raising concerns early, and continuously striving for improvement. If I slip, I expect to be called out—just as I will do the same for others.

What do I do when I’m not working

  • Home Automation, don’t get me started …
  • I’m a backend coder by heart
  • Garden work and wood working
  • Reading & Podcasts
  • SciFi & Marvel Movies
  • Traveling places