How I Operate
I'd rather be upfront about how I work than have you figure it out on your own. This is the short version.
I think in systems. My instinct is to find the structure underneath a problem before getting into the details. I think fast and I'm usually a few steps ahead. If I seem distracted, I'm not.
I'm at my sharpest under pressure. Ambiguity and drift are harder for me than urgency.
I choose my words carefully and I mean what I say. I don't do performative positivity — if something isn't working, I'll tell you. I expect the same.
If you think I'm wrong, say so. A good argument will change my mind. Hollow agreement won't.
If I'm quiet after a piece of work, I'm thinking — not unhappy.
I have a sardonic sense of humour. Don't over-read seriousness into it.
Give me something nobody else has figured out. That's when I do my best work.
Define the scope, then leave me to it. I'll tell you if I'm stuck.
I'm most engaged when the people around me are putting in real work, not going through motions.
Not spoon-feeding — guiding someone through their own discovery. Watching someone figure it out is the best part of the job.
- If I say I'll do something, I do it.
- Honest feedback, about the work and never the person.
- When I'm wrong I'll say so, before I look for someone else to blame.
- Walk me through how you got there.
- Make the call in your own area. Bring me in when it actually needs me.
- Raise blockers early. I handle bad news better than late surprises.
I move faster than most conversations, and it can come out as impatience. It isn't. If it lands wrong, say so and I'll slow down. I'd rather be told than have you tiptoe around it.