Starting off, and letting others get to know you
#1 - 09.20.20
Brother -
Let’s kick this series off. For the first topic, it’s a pivotal one whenever starting a new job or joining a new team. It’s simply - letting others get to know you.
Throughout my career, I’ve actually had difficulty opening up to coworkers. Partially it was due to imposter syndrome - did I even belong here? Most of my colleagues were Ivy-educated, spoke multiple languages, and had resumes far superior to mine. On top of that, I’m young. I would constantly worry that sharing more about me would reveal my youth. Potentially disqualifying me for that next opportunity.
A couple of years ago - one of my toughest managers helped me see this differently. When he joined the organization, he sent out a note to his direct reports and key stakeholders titled, “Knowing yourself (and helping others know you).” It was short but raw. It made him more approachable to others. It changed the starting point of new work relationships from one of ‘work-only’ to something that had empathy at the core.
Like any good student, I copied him immediately and sent something similar to my team. A couple of years have passed since that first email, and now I find myself taking over his old job. I have a new, much larger team with many more stakeholders.
So last week, I dug back into this toolbelt. I wrote another short intro about me to send to my new team of directs and key stakeholders. Copying here below so you can see it. It went to around 40 people, and 15 of them responded with thoughtful messages. Not a bad response rate for a corporate setting :)
bcc: Nate's Directs and Key Stakeholders
Team -
It's been a couple of weeks since I've stepped into the interim RGM role. I've enjoyed getting to know many of you more, and I look forward to meeting the rest of you in the coming weeks. I'm borrowing a tactic from many great managers before me, sharing a little bit more about myself, and how I’m wired. Things you wouldn’t get from a LinkedIn profile. I hope this helps you understand me a bit better - and if you have anything similar you've created, I'd love to see it as well.
A few details about me outside of work:
I’m happily engaged. My partner is a health & wellness coach which provides a good balance in our home. We like to hike and be outdoors. Memorable adventures include Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
Mornings are precious to me, and the first cup of coffee is something I look forward to the most. I meditate daily and find it to be the best ROI of any activity I do. I’m an avid football (aka soccer) fan, and I play as well. Other activities I enjoy include yoga, cycling, running, and skiing.
I always want to learn and broaden my own perspective. I push my own comfort zone frequently. Before Uber, I had no international experience. I moved to UAE, Kenya, and Russia without ever setting foot the countries beforehand. I take risks and trust those around me.
How I’m wired, and the influences that made me:
Hustle & Hardwork: Born in Minnesota to a family of small business owners, I’ve worked in a variety of odd jobs my entire life. This is where I learned no job is beneath any of us, and for a small business owner - work is your life.
Extreme Positivity: I’m wired to always see the bright side in situations, constantly ‘hyping up’ others with “You got this!”. This comes from my parents. My friends would tell me if they had their enthusiastic support, they could go to Mars. I’ve learned from my time in Russia and Europe, that this can come across as inauthentic. I promise I will never sugarcoat the bad, but it won’t get as much airtime as the good.
Rise to the Occasion: I’ve never had an impressive resume. I didn’t go to the best schools, nor did I work at the top investment banks or consulting firms. My entire career has evolved from people taking bets on me to ‘rise to the occasion’. One of my former managers would say, “Our capacity to lead is far greater than our experience”. It’s a privilege that’s been given to me, and one I share with others.
Simplicity: Einstein is quoted saying, “the definition of genius is taking the complex and making it simple”. A pet peeve of mine is when people add unnecessary complexity to the business. I strive to always simplify myself, and it’s an ask for my teams as well. It serves two purposes. First, it shows that you truly understand the problem, and second, it makes it easier to explain it to others.
Always Raise the Bar: I’m a firm believer in the compound effect of marginal gains. If we make everything just a little better each day, when you zoom out - you’ll see magic. There are no silver bullets. We need to push ourselves to make improvements on the work done before us.
Best,
Nate
So why do I share this with you? Work is about relationships. You’ll end up spending the majority of your waking hours with colleagues, managers, and team members. Building trust with them will make work easier and more enjoyable. Trust is easier to build when people see you as human and relatable. Not some robotic excel jockey who is ‘really smart’.
I don’t think you need to wait till you get promoted and get a team to make something like this. In fact, I wish I had more individual contributors write 1-pagers like this to share with their managers and peers. Communication would undoubtedly improve, and people would be on the same page more often. Remember what Dad always says, “Communication is the key to all relationships…. and what we have here is a FAILURE to communicate”. Don’t let there be a failure. Improve communication now.
Let me leave you with a quote and a question.
“When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you.”
- Lao Tzu
What events and influences have wired you to be the person you are today?
Enjoy the dance,
Nate