Hi! This document sums up how I prefer to work, and other key facts for others to know about me. The aim of the document is to make it easier for us to collaborate and to help us do great work together.
Personal
- I’m an INTJ on the Myers Briggs assessment scale. That means:
- Introvert: I may sometimes need a few minutes to recharge after meetings, but I can run a meeting like an extravert.
- Active listener: I am a great listener. I am also very perceptive and pick up on things others may not.
- Creative problem solver: I am a futuristic, strategic thinker with a ton of ideas. I love brainstorming new things and get really excited about the possibilities of what could be.
- Analytical: While I am wildly creative, I love to work with data. Data helps my strategic brain work out issues, develop creative solutions, and know that my thoughts are headed in the right direction.
- I adore the Clifton Strengths test by Gallup. I’ll probably tell you about my strengths and ask about yours, because I think they are the best way to understand each other:
- Futuristic – I think a LOT about how decisions made today will impact things in the future. I also entertain ideas about the best ways to reach goals, increase productivity, or solve problems. I love to imagine what is possible when I hear about innovative ideas and plans. I can quickly come up with future vision myself. New business venture ideas are my jam. Want to start something new? I can have it branded and a new website up within a few hours. Seriously.
- Strategic – I can quickly reconfigure factual information or data in ways that reveal trends, raise issues, identify opportunities, or offer solutions. I also generate ideas very quickly and draw links between facts, events, people, problems, and solutions.
- Learner – I’m still like Sid the Science Kid. I want to know everything about everything. I love the process of learning new things. I’m constantly learning something new. Currently, it is growing flowers for profit. Which entails learning all that I can about different cut flowers, growing seasons, soil amendments, and sourcing the best seeds at the best prices.
- Responsibility – If I say I am going to do something, you can depend on me to do it. I regularly go out of my way to do what I’ve promised and I adhere to my moral principles.
- Ideation – I thrive in environments where I need to deal with unexpected requests, problems, or changing priorities.
- My kids are homeschooled right now, maybe forever. They’re quiet and you will most likely never hear them.
- My dog hangs out under my desk. He doesn’t bark. You won’t see him on camera. If you hear him snoring, he apologizes in advance. His smushy Frenchie nose makes it so he can’t help it.
- I am an avid reader. I love romance novels. I design book covers for romance novels when I have extra time. One of the covers I designed even showed up on a USA Today Best Selling Author List. I’ve seen covers I designed on Amazon alongside J.K. Rowling and Stephen King. I think it’s the coolest thing in the world.
- If it’s not your thing, we don’t have to talk about it.
- If you want to talk about it, ask. I have lots of recommendations for my favorites.
Teamwork & Collaboration
- If we’re collaborating, I want to work in software that allows for collaboration. I love shared Onenote, Google Docs, or Google Sheets. I don’t like to guess where a file or information may live. I want to be prepared in case you have sudden OOO time. That way our collaboration won’t fall behind or miss a deadline.
- I’m happy to chat on channels like Slack, Discord, or Teams. If the conversation goes too far off course, don’t be disappointed if I trail off, so I can get back to work. See the responsibility part under Clifton Strengths.
- I practice situational leadership with teams that I lead. I try to understand what style of leadership you need in each moment, and provide that. If I get it wrong, please give me feedback.
- Everyone on the team has great strengths that they bring to the table. If I’m assigning you work, I want to know what you love to do and I will try to help you do more of that. People give it their all when they’re doing what they enjoy. (I can’t promise to never assign the less fun stuff, but I’ll always do my best to keep you from doing too much stuff that you think sucks).
- I try to be kind and respectful in all things. I think kindness goes a very long way and I hope you reciprocate that sentiment.
- If you have a problem or a grievance, please come to me. I’m a problem-solver and I want to help you enjoy your time at work.
Feedback
- Please keep feedback constructive and actionable. For communicating feedback, the following works best:
- Difficult feedback = face to face on a call
- Minor feedback = written down in an email
- I sometimes will make suggestions on how someone can improve a piece of content or design. If you really don’t want to hear feedback, tell me that. I won’t be offended.
Things You Can Help Me Be Better At
- I will try to do all.the.things. I need to stay realistic that I cannot do a million things in a regular work shift. If you hear me trying to bite off more than I should, send me a direct message or offer to help 🙂
- I’m not great with double work. In fact, I despise doing the same work twice when it could have been avoided. Please do not be offended when I offer a solution to how something could have been done differently.
Logistical Stuff
- I have been a full-time remote employee since 2018. I have no plans of returning to an actual office setting full-time. I’m happy to travel for occasional meetings but do not expect to see me at the office regularly. I like to control the heat, not smell burnt popcorn in the office microwave, and yoga pants, messy buns, and t-shirts are my favorite office attire. I live for days meetings are not on camera.
- I live in Pennsylvania and usually work 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. If you’re in a different time zone, I can be flexible with my time. I don’t take a formal lunch break because I live in a rural area and there is no where to go for lunch 🙁
- I love to travel and do it every chance I get. I take a week off around the end of March and a week at the end of September for my anniversary and birthday. I also take some other random days during the year and a few or more around Christmas. When I’m on PTO, I am away. It is like communication devices do not exist. I do not check email and I do not check into the office. I will make sure you have contact information for someone who can help you or I will respond when I return.