Personal User Manual

I thought I would keep a simple document highlighting key aspects of my working style for future references! It’s much easier to put up your ‘why’ and state them for posterity than having people guess at them.

Inspired by:

1. Before Meeting New People, Give Them Your Personal User Manual
2. Personal User Manuals — The Good, the Bad, and a Template

How to Contact Me

I am most frequently on Telegram or Whatsapp. In general, I check groups around once a day unless tagged on a conversation. For e-mails I have to triage based on the Eisenhower Matrix because there’s just so many!

Preferred Working Style

• I appreciate knowing the context so I can get at the ‘why’ of doing things. When I mean context, it is usually the end user (Design Thinking beat the whole user-centric thing into me), their goals, how the conversation happened (so I can guess at the motivating factor), timeline, and expectations
• I don’t seem to have a set time where I am most efficient. It seems that I need to just settle into a mood before doing things. That could be music, reading newsletters, snacking, or anything.
• Take my time to plan out what needs to be done. It usually takes about an hour or so for me to sort out the steps to get something done especially if it’s new before I actually start on it.
• Before doing something I try to find out what’s being done first. I’ve learnt to timebox this process but I usually take some time to Google all I can about the item at hand and try to figure out what has been working and what doesn’t.
• I ask people alot. Alot. My information gathering process ranks discussing with people > compiled research eg. papers, pdfs, reports > blogs by experts
• Get to know people that I work with. I’m not interested in only the work! I want to know your story (if you’re willing to share). Part of the whole Bill Walsh idea of bringing the whole self to the office. It makes working life authentic and motivating

What Motivates Me

1. I like a good challenge. I believe that when it is difficult, it is worthwhile doing
2. Cohesive teams. I have had the privilege to work in and with teams that synchronised really well. It’s like watching a finely tuned orchestra. The feeling is unforgettable
3. Delivering impact. I like it when we do things that create appreciable differences in the people we want to help.

What Demotivates Me

1. When people are rude
2. Not being considered in decisions that matter/affect me
3. Not being valued for the work I do

My Values (and what I value in others)

1. Above all, do no harm
2. Never lower your standards, but guide them to achieve it together with you
3. Time is precious. Cherish others’ time, spend yours wisely.

My Blind Spots

1. I don’t express emotion well. That meaning I don’t typically express much emotion at all. This means that when situations gets tense, my matter-of-fact way of dealing with things can be seen as insensitive
2. I am quick to judge. Meaning I believe that I make the best guess based on available data. If the data changes, I will change my opinion. But sometimes if data is sparse or hard to attain, my impression sticks.