A User Manual for working with me.
I work most effectively when I have some form of white noise.
Buzzing, well-lit offices or coffee shops suit me well, while quiet, dark rooms actually make it harder for me to slip into deep work.
For this reason, I often work from our London co-working space.
I'm a morning person and aim to begin working sometime between 7:30 and 8:30, whether from home or my preferred location outside of home.
I'm often active in the evenings, so I usually call it a day by 17:00-18:00.
Slack is the quickest way to get a response from me.Please don't hesitate to reach out at any time, as I'll put the phone on silent if I'm busy, and am always happy to help a colleague out of hours. I find the idea of you being blocked on something that I could be helping with more disturbing than being asked for things out of hours.
I don't like answering my phone, as I'm often in spaces which are either too noisy for that or so quiet that my conversation would be forced on those around me. I do read texts, though, so SMS or WhatsApp are cool.
I stay on top of my emails/Wrike/Coda inboxes daily, so for anything non-urgent, I want you to know that you will get a reply within a workday or so (if a reply is required). Don't hesitate to nudge me if I don’t get back to you. I won't take offence and will clarify if I need more time before responding properly.
I prefer to optimise meeting time for bursts of collaboration, so I often ask folks to use asynchronous communication as much as possible. This allows me to digest information before the meeting and be ready with feedback and questions.
Be direct. I am much more comfortable with candour and difficult conversations than with things being left unspoken, so please just be straight with me.
I consider all feedback a learning opportunity, and do my very best not to get defensive. You can read my blog to learn about my ideas on effective feedback and that should help you figure out how best to talk with me about such things.
Face to face is ideal, in lieu of that a Zoom call and if that's hard, then a phone call.
I have a hard time taking feedback in asynchronous forms, such as emails or instant messaging, so please focus on synchronous forms of communication for that.
Clarity and over-communication. I have a hard time following through on tasks when I don't understand why we're doing them, so I crave involvement in as many conversations as possible and as much background information as possible before delving into a task.
This is predominantly because I like to know I'm solving the right problem, rather than a perceived one or a symptom.
I'm an introvert, and need time to recharge between conversations. I'm also a social creature, and find it hard to go through full days without having some collaborative interaction with colleagues.
If I don't understand the wider purpose behind why we are doing something, I find it hard to engage with it.
I dislike Gatekeeping, and will always prefer to incur some discomfort by letting it through the gate whenever it is something that can be addressed later. This is true for hiring (They seem like a positive fit but lack something that we need? Let’s bring them in and empower them to fill the gaps) and is equally true for how we work (How often have you heard the phrase "That's how we've always done it"? Let’s try new ideas and iterate on them instead of just saying "No!").
Organising team social things. I really struggle at this, please don't ask me to organise anything like that.
I love collaborating on things, be it brainstorming sessions, pair programming or random conversations about things.
I like hearing about other people's challenges, it helps me get comfortable with my own, and gives me opportunities to share my own experience and ideas.
I love teaching and mentoring individuals outside of the workplace, and I am always open to taking on new mentees (time permitted).
I always bring my whole self to work and am extremely uncomfortable when I can't do so.