Inspired by this repo by Gidi Morris and this article by Cassie Robinson.
I work best in environments where I am surrounded by the behaviour I'd like to replicate. I am a copycat and a social chameleon, and I get good work done when surrounded by people doing the same.
I really enjoy working in environments where everyone is comfortable speaking openly and their words are heard and respected. Something that helps with this is Occupy Hand Signals, which I've used before and endorse.
I'm learning to be more of a morning person, but for now, I aim to arrive at the office between 9:15am and 10am and leave between 5:15pm and 6pm. If I'm WFH, I'm generally online by 9:30am.
I'm an intermittent faster and aim to have lunch at 12:30pm on the dot, but am flexible between 12:00pm and 1pm.
If I'm stuck into work - most noticeably with headphones on - I always appreciate you messaging me on the organisation's communication platform (Slack, GChat) before approaching me, unless it's an urgent request. It allows me to handle interactions at my own pace, which I appreciate.
That being said, if I've forgotten that we have a meeting or I promised to help or do something, please grab me!
I like direct communication, so feel free to directly ask me the question you want to find out the answer to and I'll do my best to get back to you immediately.
I prefer to receive constructive feedback privately and from a place of trust and empathy. I'm open to both anonymous and direct feedback. Public praise is appreciated when possible. I want feedback to be frequent and from people who have the capacity and skill to provide it effectively.
When pairing, I may sometimes ask for something to receive feedback on by the end of the session, since I've found it useful to have the partner focus on individual improvement points alongside identifying potential blind spots.
I need time to wake up in the morning. I've noticed that I get better work done (and am nicer to work with!) when I have some time to look over emails, get some personal admin done, and adjust to starting the day. This normally takes around 15 to 30 minutes, which I'll normally spend with a coffee before my day properly starts.
Equally, sometimes I need time to recharge. This may be over lunch or a short break between pairing sessions. My social batteries can deplete quite quickly, so I have to keep an eye on them!
To optimise my learning, I need to do it the right way for my brain to absorb it. My VARK learning tool preference is as follows:
- Kinesthetic (hands-on)
- Visual (diagrams)
- Reading & Writing
- Auditory
This is of course not always possible, but I love to be able to get hands-on with "stuff" in order to learn it.
I have real issues with my memory and can be embarrassed when I forget things. So if I forget your name, a concept you absolutely nailed an explanation of to me moments before, or a piece of information I was meant to remember, I'm really sorry and I'm working on it!
With that in mind, I can also struggle with my focus. Since I get worried I'll forget tasks when they pop into my head, I'll try to immediately complete them when I think of them. The cost of this is often switching between tasks at a lightning pace, which can become frustrating at times, especially with pair partners. Sometimes I do this in meetings or other times when pairing.
If you see me doing this, please feel free and comfortable to call me out on it, even by simply saying "Stephen, you're doing the thing again." I'm not always great at seeing the impact it has on others and will appreciate you giving me a heads up.
I love using analogies to explain complexity! If you'd like to explain something to me in conversation, I respond very well to analogies. Make it as real-world as possible, especially if it tackles high-level ideas.
I love getting stuff done. I like to build quickly and get something working, then iterate. Working in an environment where this is possible - but more importantly, psychologically safe - makes me very happy!
When confident enough with a domain, I love sharing knowledge. I enjoy hosting learning sessions and have a few techniques to make learning more interactive and fun for the participants.
I have also discovered that I respond well to being placed in leadership roles and have enjoyed being a technical lead in the past, as it leans into my communication and organisation skills.
When I get stressed, I often tend to go a bit inwards. Normally, this takes the form of me going quiet and shortening my responses.
If you notice me doing this, the best thing to do would be to give me some time to de-stress and breathe, and I'll be back at it in no time!
I'm from Montreal, Canada, and have lived in Surrey, Bristol, Sheffield, and London before moving to Melbourne, Australia where I currently live. Despite having spent longer in the UK than Canada, I am still a very passionate Canuck with a fairly strong accent.
I'll talk your ear off about video games, music technology, and some sports. I like to keep active and have recently become hooked on bouldering. I'm always looking for people to join in and try to go at least twice a week.
To the extent that I believe in it, I am a Logician personality type. This means that I live a lot in my own head, which has its benefits and weaknesses.
Despite best efforts to appear extroverted, I am an introvert at heart and can be overwhelmed or exhausted by social interaction overload.
- Enhancing my team-building and culture-building skills.
- Improving my technical skills and gaining confidence.
- Ensure that the work I'm doing is clearly defined, organised, and has a clear card.
- Seek a clear understanding of the wider motivation around my work and its role in the bigger picture of the project.
- Identify who I need to be speaking to and working with.
- Thrive in environments where behaviour can be modelled and open communication is encouraged.
- Feeling fulfilled by my work.
- Being surrounded by trusted, respected, and enjoyable colleagues.