At Thoth Tech, the Area Leads have identified a number of communication scenarios which can be difficult to manage. In each scenario there are different outcomes and courses of action.
All Thoth Tech communications to and between company members should be clear and consistent. Most communications, including announcements, will be posted in Microsoft Teams. This applies for all levels of company communication – the main Thoth Tech channel, product channels, and private team channels. As such, these channels and their respective communications should create a flow-down effect of communication from Leadership and Managing Directors to all company members.
From such communication, all Thoth Tech members should feel aware of what tasks need to be completed, and that they are continually supported and guided. If at any time you are unsure or feel that there is insufficient communication regarding tasks, there are several points of contact:
It is always better to seek assistance sooner rather than later. Remember that your peers are there to support you, so don’t hesitate to send them a message if you’re feeling uncertain.
As part of being a member of Thoth Tech, utilising a range of technologies is key for company engagement and contributions. For any technology, there is always the chance that there are some difficulties encountered. This may be during the installation and set-up processes, or may occur during general usage of the technology.
In any case, there are courses of action that can be taken when technical difficulties are encountered. When communicating what the technical difficulty is, please remember to provide any relevant:
These aspects all assist in creating a clearer understanding of the problem and what could potentially be done to solve it. Hence, providing as much relevant information as possible is important.
Reaching out to fellow team members is a great course of action in the case of technical difficulties. Because your team members will be working with the same technologies to complete their tasks, they may be able to assist in developing a solution. In fact, they may have encountered the same issues in the past and know the solution.
The best way to contact your team members is through posting a message on the team’s private Teams channel. Or, if you’d prefer, you can reach out to individual team members or the Team Lead through a private chat. Either way, always remember that your team members are there to support you through any challenges encountered in completing tasks, including tech issues.
Each of the Thoth Tech products – OnTrack, SplashKit, and DreamBig – have their own dedicated Microsoft Teams channel. The Company Operations teams also have a similar dedicated channel. These channels are also a place where posts can be published to ask for assistance in dealing with an encountered technical difficulty. As people from numerous teams are within this channel, and all work with the same technology stack, someone can likely assist with the encountered problem.
The best method for requesting assistance in this channel is to create a post which describes the specific problem, including screenshots where relevant. To ensure that the message is seen, it is also a good idea to “tag” the channel in the post. This sends a notification to all channel members, and can be done by typing “@channel-name” within the post.
After reaching out and receiving assistance from fellow team members and product channel members, your Area Lead can be contacted if the technical difficulty persists. This can be done through sending them a private Teams message. Remember to describe the issue and explain how you have worked through the other communication courses of action. As the Area Lead is highly experienced in working with the product and its technologies, they will be able to assist in developing a solution.
At the end of your first trimester with the company, you can nominate which team you would like to be in for your senior trimester. You have the option to remain in the same team, or to change to another – even within a different product. This is the ideal time to swap teams, as it is based on your interests and what you’d like to achieve in the company.
If you wish to swap teams at any other point, it is a more complex process and is not guaranteed to be approved. In this case, valid reasons must be given to support the desire to swap teams. Your Team Lead and Area Lead are the best points of contact in this scenario.
Should your desire to swap teams come from experienced conflict, bullying, abuse, or harassment, please refer to the sections of this guide which discuss these scenarios. The advice and courses of action given may assist in these scenarios and alleviate the need to swap teams.
Thoth Tech is based in Melbourne, Australia. As such, all meeting and event times communicated throughout the company are assumed to be in the AEDT/AEST conventions.
For members outside this time zone, it is expected that they manage the conversions into their own local time independently. Thoth Tech understands that the differences in time zones may make it difficult for such members to attend live meetings. If so, please contact your team members to arrange a better meeting time where possible.
As team meetings are recorded, these are also available to be viewed so that all members are up-to-date on team information. Any personal updates on progress, including weekly tasks and any challenges encountered, can then be communicated in the team channel. Conducting asynchronous meetings with team members is also another option which can assist in overcoming time differences for team meetings.
Ultimately, ensuring that communication is open and that other members are aware of any time zone differences is essential. Your team members are there to support you, so reach out to clarify deadlines or to ask for support should managing time differences become difficult.
When first starting out at Thoth Tech, there is a lot to explore and learn about the company and the technologies used. Onboarding is a key part of this process, containing several tasks and resources to help new junior members in getting started. Onboarding is also completed again during your time as a senior with Thoth Tech.
In the case of late onboarding, it is likely that other team members have already completed their onboarding and are now working towards their company contributions. Should this be the case, there are several actions which can assist in getting “up to speed”:
While late onboarding may make you feel “behind” in the company, remember that your team and peers are there to support you through the process. Ensure that you reach out to your peers as needed, and soon enough you will be caught up and contributing within the company.
As part of Thoth Tech’s values, it is expected that all members engage in professional communication that is polite and considerate. Regardless, we recognise that there may be conflicts that arise due to differing opinions or other factors. While differences of opinion or disagreements are not a conflict, unkind words and actions used in discussing them can escalate the situation to a conflict.
In the case of a conflict, there are key communication avenues that can assist in resolving it:
As part of Thoth Tech’s values, it is expected that all members engage in professional communication that is polite and considerate. It is also expected that all Thoth Tech communication and collaboration environments are a safe and welcoming place for all members. As with any workplace, bullying, abuse, and harassment are unacceptable under any circumstances and will be actioned upon.
If, at any point in your time with Thoth Tech, you experience - or witness - bullying, abuse, or harassment report it to the Managing Directors immediately. Disciplinary action will be taken against those perpetrating the behaviour.
Should the behaviour occur over digital means, try to collect evidence of it through screenshots or recordings. We acknowledge that this may increase the negative effects felt from the behaviour, and the Managing Directors are there to help you through this. Your peers are also there to support you through this experience.