What I value
Transparency and honesty. This comes out in both positive and negative ways. I’m a pretty open book and people tend to know where they stand with me, but I sometimes lack certain social filters and will default to saying what’s honestly on my mind.
I am not passive aggressive nor am I political correct at times. However, I endeavor to treat everyone equally, fairly, and with respect.
I don’t give much thought to titles and seniority. I believe in truth and meritocracy.
What I don’t have patience for
I struggle in relationships with those that don’t demonstrate respect for themselves or others. I have little patience for those that lean negative. I like confidence and I am really turned off by arrogance. I am drawn to those who are intellectually curious and like to challenge their own and others’ assumptions.
Features
I believe myself to be transparent, vulnerable, and authentic in my communication
I rate myself highly in creativity, adaptability, and resourcefulness. I work well in ambiguity and finding solutions for a wide variety of problems.
I am gritty and persistent, particularly in the face of great adversity. I don’t mind getting down and dirty in the mud.
I try not to let perfect be the enemy of good
I am curious and persistent by nature. Once I am interested in a topic I want to learn everything I can about it (both personally and professionally).
I like to think I ask good questions to help myself and others get to the truth of the matter (see also Bug).
Rested, fed, and full of exercise induced endorphins. When I get stressed and overwhelmed I tend to not exercise, eat well, or sleep. I can sprint like this for a couple days, but after a week my energy and performance starts to suffer.
I prefer having a single task or project to really focus on. I’m not doing my best work when I’m switching between large projects and mentally lose focus.
Bugs
I don’t always celebrate wins as much as I should / could. I have an equally high bar for excellence and disappointment. I’m running on neutral most of the time.
Sometimes my questioning comes across as interrogative when I am trying to learn about a topic. The problem-solver in me is geared to root-cause analysis and I am prone to ask “why” 5 a lot. I know this can be annoying when I don’t provide the right context.
I have a tough time staying focused in long conversations over Zoom and will start to multi-task. I’ve found hacks to get around this bad habit, but still a work in progress.
My biggest vice is YouTube
How I like to receive praise and recognition
Honestly, a public shoutout on Slack always feels nice. I get uncomfortable when given praise 1:1 and will tend to deflect.
My support system
I have a life coach
Katie (life partner)
My mom (financial advise)
My dad (home repair and maintenance)
Professional support system
My lifestyle
I have tried to create harmony in my life but it’s a never-ending quest.
I enjoy meditation and the calm and focus it brings, but I still don’t meditate nearly as much as I would like.
I enjoy reading and learning from the experience of others. I am not afraid of making mistakes, but I prefer to first try and learn from the mistakes of others.
Nothing is more important to me than my family. I will also prioritize being present with them during the important times of their lives.
I love to sail and the focus it requires to get a 35’ boat to sail perfectly upwind
I love taking photographs of whatever is around me (family, landscape, cityscape, life). This is my most creative outlet.
I am very protective of my time. It’s my most valuable resource.
I do my best work in the morning and after a good night’s sleep. I aim to shut down by 5-6pm to spend time with my family, occasionally coming back online in the evening to catch up on low input tasks.
I am pretty bad with small talk after 5 minutes. I like engaging with those that want to get into the deeper stuff quickly.
Communication
Directly and honestly. I place a high value in truth.
I don’t enjoy light filler conversations and prefer to get into the meat of any conversation. I like going deep on topics, discussing pros and cons, and evaluating from all points of view. Sometimes I go too deep though, and need to get pulled out in order to make progress.
I don’t shy away from disagreements as long as they don’t get personal and there’s a shared understanding of what we’re aiming to achieve
I really appreciate the “let me think about it” or “I’m on it” email as opposed to several days of silence.
I tend to work out of Asana so if there’s a task you would like me to do, send it to me there first. Slack is next, although I try to stay off it for large chunks of dedicated time. I check my email twice a day (morning and evenings). If email chains include more than two responses, I tend to want to just talk about the topic live. I’m comfortable with Zoom, phone calls or in-person meetings, though I find Zoom to be the most mentally taxing of the live communication options. Call me if something is burning down. Text is my least preferred medium.
Humor
Finally, I like a good laugh and to have fun with the people I work with.