A few months ago, I heard Adam Grant speak on a podcast about a really fun idea. Grant wrote a user manual about himself so his coworkers, bosses, and employees could understand how best to work with him. The concept really intrigued me, so I did some research. The idea seems to have started from an interview with Adam Bryant and Ivar Kroghrud back in 2013. It's pretty simple: if you were an appliance or device, you'd come with a user manual that explained a little bit about your inner mechanics, ideal working conditions, what you could and couldn't do, any known defects, and basic troubleshooting.
It's a bit intimidating to put everything - warts and all - out there for your colleagues to see. But the reality is, your coworkers will figure out those things anyway. With the user manual approach, you open up a lot of good discussion and make life easier on yourself and your colleagues. It's effective and efficient for everyone involved. Hopefully, your colleagues will feel like they can be transparent and vulnerable with you in turn.
So in that spirit, I'm publishing my own user manual. Other people who have done this recommend keeping it short, revising it frequently, and pointing out that feedback from colleagues makes the manual more effective. So suggestions are welcome!
Sarah Boman's User Manual
How I Hope You Perceive Me
Approachable and trustworthy
A producer of quality work
Effective
Impactful
A resource to my team
Willing to admit when I'm wrong or need to change
Willing to work hard at any task, however large or small
My Strengths
Adaptability
Interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence
Solving complex problems
Communication
Integrity
Hyperfocus (the upside of ADHD; more below)
What I Dislike
Mocking
Entitlement
Arrogance
Micromanaging
Stomping on subordinates
Typos (I'm not perfect here, but I try my best!)
How to Communicate with Me
Please be direct, candid, and transparent.
(I love being of help) + (I'm allergic to being buttered up) = If you ever need something, just ask!
Please, please tell me if I've done something wrong. I'll be grateful for the chance to correct my mistake.
I prefer to receive requests, tasks, and assignments via email and instant messaging because then I have a record of what I need to do or get for you. It's always fine to call or stop by, but getting something into my inbox is most effective and helps me stay organized.
I'm decent with conflict resolution, so I can handle hurt or anger. I will not engage with hostility, aggression, or rudeness.
My Weaknesses and How to Work with Them
Procrastination. I thrive in deadline-heavy environments (like school) when I am accountable for producing something and can't escape. I wish more than anything that procrastination was not a key step in my creative process, but it's part of my ADHD, and I've stopped trying to fight it. It is NOT laziness or a lack of discipline. In fact, ADHDers can tap into something called hyperfocus, which basically lets us shift into overdrive. I've learned how to leverage my hyperfocus and structure my schedule around big deadlines. Please communicate your deadlines clearly, please trust I'll get you what you need on time, and please don't panic when you see a flurry of activity as I shift into hyperfocus. If you are not a procrastinator, I understand why this probably stresses you out, so I don't mind at all if you ask for status updates or increased communication. (Thanks to Adam Grant for evangelizing the strengths of procrastination.)
Boredom. This is related to my procrastination, but different. I very much always need to be occupied in something productive, so I struggle in slow environments. I do well when I have a full to-do list, when I'm in high-pressure scenarios, or when requirements change frequently. My brain simply loses interest quickly (another facet of ADHD). I will almost always appreciate you giving me more to do, and I promise to let you know if I'm at capacity.
Fear of failure and rejection. I sometimes drag my feet completing things because I'm scared to fail or to have the project be criticized publicly. You're welcome to prod a little if you suspect I'm being a little bit chicken-ish. I definitely appreciate reminders about failure and rejection being normal parts of life.
My Personality Assessment Results
This is one of the areas where my adaptability shows up.
Myers-Briggs: I usually get ESFP, ESFJ, or ENFP. I'm probably an S, but the P/J is a toss up.
Enneagram: Either a 2 with a 3 wing or a 3 with a 2 wing.
StrengthsFinder: top domains are influencing and relationship building (communication, harmony, individualization, activator, and positivity)
Further Reading
Mistakes I Made at Work by Jessica Bacal
Radical Candor by Kim Scott
Principles by Ray Dalio
It's the Manager by Jim Clifton and Jim Harper
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