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# A Personal User Manual
- URL: https://chrisenns.com/2022/05/a-personal-user-manual/
- Published: 2022-05-20T06:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2024-04-08T18:52:54.000Z
- Description: A personal user manual is a short document outlining how you like to work, collaborate, communicate, and receive feedback.
- Author: Chris Enns
- Tags: life, journal

Via the [ShopTalk Show D-d-d-d-discord](https://www.patreon.com/shoptalkshow?ref=chrisenns.com), I learned about the idea of creating a personal user manual. A definition via [Ness Labs](https://nesslabs.com/personal-user-manual?ref=chrisenns.com):

> A personal user manual is a short document outlining how you like to work, collaborate, communicate, and receive feedback. It may sound serious, but it’s actually a fun way to get to know yourself and your teammates. While you can do it on your own, it’s also a great team building workshop to organise with your colleagues.

Looking at the examples ([1](https://medium.com/@PeteVowles/working-with-me-a-user-manual-b07f1b47f8f9?ref=chrisenns.com), [2](https://github.com/danielthomason/daniel-thomason/blob/master/Personal%20User%20Manual.md?ref=chrisenns.com), [3](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1I8Y4oNkrh1Ass32PNyzBYp3hL4scLiH7YWQmwvKxzlM/edit?ref=chrisenns.com#slide=id.g602e881e99%5F0%5F58)), some of them read like a resume or CV but with more personality and emotion attached.

I really like the idea of a personal user manual and could see the benefit of creating one as part of an on-boarding process for clients and/or potential hires [with my business](https://www.lemonproductions.ca/?ref=chrisenns.com). Much like how declaring my rates early on in a conversation save time and back and forth if the budget isn't there, so would having potential clients realize we wouldn't be a good fit in work and communication styles.

There would also be a benefit for current clients to know how best to collaborate and work well together, especially when 99% of what I do with clients is through email, Discord messages, Google Drive files, or a Notion document.