Why I Wrote a Personal README (and Why You Should Too)

I value transparency, collaboration, and clarity whether that’s working with colleagues, contributors in the WordPress community, or clients. But one thing has become clear over time: everyone works differently, and understanding those differences upfront makes for smoother, more effective collaboration. Enter the Personal README.

Inspired by Luc Levesque, Roy Rapoport, and 18F’s guide on Personal READMEs, I put together my own as a way to share how I work, communicate, and approach leadership. It’s a snapshot of my work style, values, and expectations, both for myself and for those working with me.

📖 Check it out here: jeffpaul.com/readme/

Why Write a Personal README?

A Personal README isn’t a set of hard rules, it’s a tool to set expectations, remove ambiguity, and help others understand how to best work with you. It can cover things like:

• Your working hours and communication preferences
• Your approach to meetings and collaboration
• What makes you excited (and what chafes you or makes you grumpy)
• How you give and receive feedback

By being upfront about these things, you can reduce friction and make it easier for colleagues to engage effectively. It also helps new team members ramp up faster, since they don’t have to guess what works best.

My Challenge to You

If you haven’t written a Personal README yet, I highly encourage you to give it a shot! Start with something simple and iterate over time. Ask yourself:

• What’s important to me in how I collaborate?
• What do I expect from my teammates?
• How do I like to communicate and make decisions?

And if you do create one, share it! Put it in your profile on social networks and communication platforms as well as your personal website (you own your own content right?!), basically wherever people can easily find it. The more we normalize transparent communication, the easier it becomes to work effectively together.

If you already have a Personal README, I’d love to see it! Drop a link in the comments or tag me on Bluesky / Mastodon / LinkedIn or wherever we connect.

Let’s make working together easier. 🚀