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Tips and Best Practices

This guide provides advanced tips, best practices, and workflows to help you get the most out of ManagerDash.

Getting Started Right​

First Week Setup​

Day 1: Basic Configuration

  1. Add yourself as a contributor (for testing)
  2. Create 1-2 test teams
  3. Configure GitHub token in Preferences
  4. Explore the interface
  5. Familiarize yourself with navigation

Day 2-3: Add Your Team

  1. Add all team members and create profiles
  2. Set up teams matching your org structure
  3. Assign seniority levels
  4. Verify GitHub usernames
  5. Use drag-and-drop to organize

Day 4-5: Initial Data Entry

  1. Set development goals for each person (current quarter)
  2. Create baseline skills assessments
  3. Add any recent feedback
  4. Fetch last month of PRs
  5. Review everything for accuracy
  6. Create career goals to track progress long term.

Building Good Habits​

Daily Tasks (5 minutes)

  • Capture feedback as it happens
  • Note significant contributions
  • Flag notable PRs

Weekly Tasks (30 minutes)

  • Fetch and rate last week's PRs
  • Mark draft feedback as delivered
  • Update goal statuses
  • Review each person's progress

Monthly Tasks (2 hours)

  • Update skills assessments
  • Generate monthly reports
  • Review and archive old goals
  • Prepare for 1-on-1s
  • Clean up data

Quarterly Tasks (4 hours)

  • Complete comprehensive skills assessments
  • Generate quarterly reports
  • Review all feedback
  • Set next quarter goals
  • Export data for performance reviews

Organization Strategies​

Tagging Systems​

Feedback Tags

Technical:
- code, architecture, testing, documentation

Soft Skills:
- communication, collaboration, leadership, mentorship

Projects:
- project-x, migration-2024, launch-mobile

Time:
- q1-2025, h1-2025, annual-2025

Type:
- win, learning, blocker, milestone

Consistent Application

  • Define tags upfront
  • Share with other managers
  • Use autocomplete (type same tags)
  • Review and refine quarterly
  • Document your system

Goal Structure​

Clear Goal Hierarchy

Annual Goal: "Become Tech Lead"
├─ Q1 Goal: "Lead major feature"
│  ├─ Milestone: Design document
│  ├─ Milestone: Lead implementation
│  └─ Milestone: Mentor 2 engineers
├─ Q2 Goal: "Improve system design skills"
│  ├─ Milestone: Complete course
│  ├─ Milestone: Present to team
│  └─ Milestone: Lead design review
└─ Q3-Q4 Goals: (planned)

SMART Goals Template

  • Specific: "Ship new dashboard feature"
  • Measurable: "5 milestones defined"
  • Achievable: "With team support"
  • Relevant: "Aligns with product roadmap"
  • Time-bound: "By end of Q2"

Skills Assessment Framework​

Rating Calibration Sessions

  • Meet with peer managers monthly
  • Review 2-3 sample assessments
  • Discuss rating interpretations
  • Align on standards
  • Document consensus

Development Tracking

Quarter Start:
- Baseline assessment
- Identify 2-3 focus areas
- Link to development goals

Quarter Mid-Point:
- Quick check-in
- Note progress
- Adjust if needed

Quarter End:
- Full reassessment
- Document growth
- Plan next focus areas

Time-Saving Techniques​

Keyboard Shortcuts Summary​

Navigation

  • Tab: Move between fields
  • Shift + Tab: Move backward
  • Esc: Cancel/close
  • ⌘/Ctrl + Enter: Quick save

Quick Actions

  • Click dates to see calendars
  • Drag people to reassign teams
  • Click PR titles to open GitHub
  • Use color picker for visual IDs

Batch Processing​

Weekly PR Review

1. Friday afternoon (30 min per person):
   - Open each person's PR Review tab
   - Set date range to last 7 days
   - Fetch PRs
   - Rate all at once
   - Add quick notes
   - Move to next person

2. Patterns to watch:
   - All "Below" → Immediate conversation
   - Improving trend → Positive feedback
   - High volume → Capacity check

Monthly Feedback Processing

1. End of month (1 hour):
   - Review Home Dashboard drafts
   - Group by person
   - Refine wording
   - Add tags
   - Mark as delivered
   - Generate monthly reports

Template Creation​

Goal Templates

## Technical Leadership Goal

**Title**: [Specific achievement]
**Description**: Develop leadership in [area]
**Timeline**: [Start] to [End]

Milestones:
1. [ ] Lead design review
2. [ ] Mentor early career engineer  
3. [ ] Present tech talk
4. [ ] Document decisions
5. [ ] Ship feature successfully

Feedback Templates

## Positive Feedback Template

[Person] demonstrated excellent [skill] when [specific example]. 
This had [positive impact] and shows growth in [competency area].

Tags: [skill-area], [project], [quarter]

## Constructive Feedback Template

In [situation], [observed behavior]. For future similar situations, 
consider [specific suggestion]. This will help develop [skill area].

Tags: [skill-area], [development], [quarter]

Advanced Workflows​

Performance Review Cycle​

8 Weeks Before Review

- Export previous review report
- Set up folder for this review
- Schedule review meeting
- Block prep time

4 Weeks Before Review

- Update all goals and milestones
- Complete skills assessment
- Rate all PRs in period
- Review all feedback
- Add any missing data

2 Weeks Before Review

- Generate comprehensive report
- Export to Markdown
- Review for completeness
- Create review document
- Prepare discussion points
- Send preview to team member

1 Week Before Review

- Have prep conversation
- Gather their self-assessment
- Compare assessments
- Finalize discussion agenda
- Prepare examples

During Review

- Use report as guide
- Walk through each section
- Discuss patterns and trends
- Reference specific examples
- Gather their input
- Set next period goals
- Document outcomes

After Review

- Export final report
- Submit to HR system
- Update goals in ManagerDash
- File documentation
- Schedule follow-up
- Begin tracking new period

Promotion Preparation​

6 Months Before

- Identify promotion candidates
- Document promotion criteria
- Set stretch goals
- Increase feedback frequency
- Look for growth opportunities

3 Months Before

- Review progress toward criteria
- Generate comprehensive report
- Gather peer feedback
- Document impact examples
- Prepare preliminary case

1 Month Before

- Finalize promotion packet
- Include ManagerDash reports
- Add supporting evidence
- Review with your manager
- Submit for review

Team Calibration​

Monthly Calibration Meeting

Agenda:
1. Review new hires (15 min)
   - Initial assessments
   - Onboarding progress
   
2. Discuss promotions (15 min)
   - Candidates
   - Readiness
   
3. Address concerns (15 min)
   - Performance issues
   - Support needed
   
4. Skill gaps (15 min)
   - Team-wide needs
   - Training plans

Integration Strategies​

With Your Calendar​

Recurring Events

Weekly:
- Friday: PR review (30 min)
- Friday: Update goals (15 min)

Bi-weekly:
- Monday before 1-on-1s: Generate reports (1 hour)

Monthly:
- Last Friday: Monthly reviews (2 hours)
- First Monday: Set monthly focus (30 min)

Quarterly:
- Week before quarter end: Complete assessments (4 hours)
- First week of quarter: Set goals (2 hours)

With 1-on-1s​

Standard 1-on-1 Flow

Opening (5 min):
- Their agenda items
- Quick updates

Review ManagerDash (15 min):
- Pull up their dashboard
- Review recent PRs
- Discuss current goals
- Check milestone progress
- Deliver new feedback

Career Discussion (10 min):
- Skills development
- Growth opportunities
- Goal alignment

Closing (5 min):
- Action items
- Next meeting topics
- Add new feedback to drafts

With Team Meetings​

Weekly Team Meetings

Recognitions (5 min):
- Pull from "Team" visibility feedback
- Call out recent "Exceeding" PRs
- Celebrate milestone completions

Goals Check (5 min):
- Team goal progress
- Blockers
- Support needed

Data Management​

Backup Strategy​

Weekly Exports

  • Export changed reports
  • Save to dated folder
  • Keep 3 months local
  • Archive older exports

Monthly Archives

  • Export all active reports
  • Create monthly snapshot
  • Store securely
  • Document any issues

Quarterly Full Backup

  • Export all data
  • Backup application data
  • Verify backup integrity
  • Update documentation

Data Hygiene​

Monthly Cleanup

Goals:
- Archive completed goals
- Update stale goals
- Remove duplicate goals

Feedback:
- Tag untagged feedback
- Categorize by type
- Remove test entries

Skills:
- Verify assessment dates
- Check for missing competencies
- Update stale notes

PRs:
- Review unrated PRs
- Add missing notes
- Verify ratings

Privacy Management​

Sensitive Data Handling

  • Use "Private" visibility for sensitive feedback
  • Don't export sensitive data unnecessarily
  • Redact before sharing externally
  • Follow company data policies
  • Respect individual privacy

Troubleshooting Patterns​

Technical Issues​

"Error decrypting GitHub token" or "Failed to decrypt"

This error typically occurs after:

  • System updates or macOS upgrades
  • Reinstalling or upgrading ManagerDash
  • Moving your data to a new computer
  • macOS keychain changes

Why it happens: ManagerDash uses your operating system's secure storage (macOS Keychain) to encrypt your GitHub token and license key. When the encryption keys change (due to system updates or app reinstallation), the old encrypted data can no longer be decrypted.

Solution:

  1. Go to Preferences/Settings
  2. Click Delete next to your GitHub token
  3. Re-enter your GitHub token
  4. Click Save

Your token will be re-encrypted with the current system keychain. This is a one-time fix per system change.

Note: Your data is safe! The app stores migration metadata when decryption fails, so nothing is lost. You just need to re-enter your credentials once.

Common Workflow Issues​

"I'm drowning in data"

  • Solution: Focus on one feature at a time
  • Start with just goals and feedback
  • Add PR review when comfortable
  • Skills last (quarterly cadence)
  • Use filters aggressively

"Can't keep up with updates"

  • Solution: Batch process weekly
  • Set specific time blocks
  • Use quick capture methods
  • Don't aim for perfection
  • Focus on high-value items

"Reports feel overwhelming"

  • Solution: Start with shorter date ranges
  • Focus on one section at a time
  • Use reports as conversation starters
  • Don't over-analyze
  • Trust the data

Adoption Challenges​

Team Resistance

  • Start with volunteers
  • Show value through examples
  • Don't force adoption
  • Iterate based on feedback
  • Celebrate quick wins

Manager Skepticism

  • Demonstrate time savings
  • Show report quality
  • Share success stories
  • Offer to help setup
  • Be patient

Process Integration

  • Map to existing workflows
  • Don't add new meetings
  • Replace existing tools
  • Measure actual time spent
  • Adjust as needed

Success Metrics​

Track Your Own Effectiveness​

Preparation Time

  • Before ManagerDash: [X hours]
  • After ManagerDash: [Y hours]
  • Time saved: [X-Y hours]
  • Better prep quality: Yes/No

Data Quality

  • Feedback frequency
  • Goal tracking completeness
  • PR review coverage
  • Skills assessment currency

Outcomes

  • Team satisfaction
  • Clear goal alignment
  • Evidence-based reviews
  • Better development plans

Team-Specific Customizations​

For Small Teams (2-5 people)​

  • Focus on individuals over teams
  • Deep, detailed tracking
  • Frequent updates
  • Rich feedback capture
  • Close monitoring

For Large Teams (15+ people)​

  • Heavy team-level view usage
  • Delegate tracking to leads
  • Focus on trends not details
  • Monthly rather than weekly updates
  • Aggregate reporting

For Distributed Teams​

  • Async-first feedback capture
  • Document everything
  • Use exported reports for sharing
  • Extra context in notes
  • Regular video check-ins with reports

For Growing Teams​

  • Template new hire onboarding
  • Baseline assessments immediately
  • Track ramp-up progress
  • Document team growth
  • Adjust processes quarterly

Continuous Improvement​

Monthly Review Questions​

  1. What's working well?
  2. What's taking too much time?
  3. What data am I not using?
  4. What's missing?
  5. How can I streamline?

Quarterly Process Check​

  1. Review time spent
  2. Assess data quality
  3. Survey team satisfaction
  4. Identify pain points
  5. Plan improvements
  6. Update workflows
  7. Share learnings

Annual Reset​

  1. Archive old data
  2. Review and refine tags
  3. Update skill competencies
  4. Revise goal templates
  5. Clean up teams
  6. Refresh documentation
  7. Plan next year

Getting Help​

Documentation Quick Reference​

  • Setup: See Overview (00-overview.md)
  • People Management: See Teams and People (01-teams-and-people.md)
  • Goal Tracking: See Goals and Milestones (02-goals-and-milestones.md)
  • Skills: See Skills Assessment (03-skills-assessment.md)
  • Feedback: See Feedback Management (04-feedback-management.md)
  • PRs: See PR Review (05-pr-review.md)
  • Reporting: See Reports (06-reports.md)

Common Questions​

Q: How much time should I spend in ManagerDash? A: 30 minutes weekly for maintenance, 1-2 hours monthly for reviews, 4 hours quarterly for deep work.

Q: Do I need to use all features? A: No! Start with goals and feedback. Add others as you're comfortable.

Q: How often should I update skills assessments? A: Quarterly is sufficient for most people. More frequent for rapid growth roles.

Q: Should I share reports with team members? A: Yes, for transparency. Export and share before reviews or 1-on-1s.

Q: What if I fall behind? A: Catch up on high-priority items only. Don't try to backfill everything perfectly.

Final Tips​

Do's​

✅ Capture data immediately when it happens ✅ Use consistent patterns and tags ✅ Export reports regularly ✅ Share with team members transparently ✅ Iterate and improve your process ✅ Focus on high-value activities ✅ Use filters and views effectively ✅ Keep data current and accurate

Don'ts​

❌ Don't try to track everything perfectly ❌ Don't spend more time tracking than managing ❌ Don't use as surveillance tool ❌ Don't share sensitive data inappropriately ❌ Don't compare people unfairly ❌ Don't neglect regular updates ❌ Don't ignore the data when making decisions ❌ Don't forget this is a tool to help, not replace, management

Conclusion​

ManagerDash is most effective when:

  • Used consistently
  • Integrated into existing workflows
  • Focused on high-value tracking
  • Balanced with human judgment
  • Continuously refined

Start small, build habits, and expand usage as you see value. The goal is better management through better data, not perfect data capture.

Remember: ManagerDash helps you be a better manager by giving you better information for better conversations. Use it to support and develop your team, not just to track them.

Documentation Complete: You've reached the end of the ManagerDash User Guide. For questions or issues, refer back to the relevant section above.

Version: 1.0.3 Last Updated: October 2025