User manual for me

COVID-19 Update

I have adopted some new policies and ways of working to protect myself and my family from the risk of COVID-19:

  • I only work remotely
  • I look after my son on some weekdays, rather than sending him to nursery. This means my working pattern is now something like:
    • Monday 8am – 5pm
    • Tuesday OFF
    • Wednesday 1pm – 5pm
    • Thursday 8am – 5pm
    • Friday 8am – 12pm
  • I’m flexible. We all need to be.
  • I’ll do 1-2-1 video calls with all the people I work with, to build personal connections

 

 

Inspired by https://medium.com/@cassierobinson/a-user-manual-for-me-d3a851fbc694

Conditions I like to work in

  • I like a mixture of being in and out of the office. I’m supportive of remote-working, but I generally prefer to be around people as I find it easier to check ideas.
  • I need some quiet time to get things done.

The times/hours I like to work

  • Having a young child now, my working pattern has switched to earlier in the day. My week generally looks like:
    • Monday 8am – 4pm
    • Tuesday 8am – 4pm
    • Wednesday 9am – 5pm
    • Thursday 8am – 4pm
  • I take Fridays off to spend time with my son, at the moment. I generally keep in touch during the day, but can’t guarantee I’ll be available. So I might chip in, but I also may be unable to respond to things quickly.
  • I’ve cut back on working on evenings and weekends. But if I do, I aim to not send anything out at these times.

The best ways to communicate with me

  • Not a fan of email. Trying to only check it twice a day. I practice Inbox Zero, and will always get to your mail eventually.
  • Slack is good, but remember it is asynchronous.
  • My phone’s usually on silent, but text me if you need something urgently.

The ways I like to receive feedback

  • Face-to-face please. I like to play things back to check I’ve understood. This could be a video-call though, if we’re not in the same place.
  • I’d rather broach any disagreements, than let them fester.

Things I need

  • I need time and space to think about decisions.
  • To be included in conversations. I don’t always force my way in.
  • The nature of my personality (dominant green colour energy), means that I care about what other people think.  So I value other peoples’ opinions as I formulate ideas.

Things I struggle with

  • Arbitrary commitments; I much prefer to work towards genuine outcomes.
  • I dislike corporate process when it serves little value.
  • I get frustrated by tribalistic rivalries, when they get in the way.
  • Completely losing sight of things I’ve delegated. Please let me know how things are going.

Things I love

  • Solving problems at a whiteboard is ace.
  • Variety. I enjoy working across different roles and teams. Don’t pigeonhole me.
  • I value bringing people and teams together towards a common goal.
  • Sketching things out on paper helps to get things out of my head.
  • Helping to figure out the bigger picture is important to me.

Other things to know about me

  • I prefer small groups to large meetings, but can do both.
  • If you need access to my calendar, just ask. Please respect the things that are already booked in.
  • I don’t drink tea or coffee.