How To Mat
Howdy! This is me…sort of :)
Over the years, I’ve been extremely fortunate to be a part of some pretty amazing teams. They‘re not associated with the typical resume bending names based out of Silicon Valley, but I’m pretty damn proud of them and everything we’ve accomplished during my time with them; Best Buy, Pearson, Activision, John Deere, Handrail, Spark, and most recently Pear Deck.
These professional experiences have shaped me in many ways. So much so, I’ve had a few colleagues reach out wanting to know what I’ve learned over the years and get some insights to what has made me “successful”. I’m always happy to share, but to be totally transparent, I have a hard time with accepting the concept of success and articulating the lessons I’ve learned since it’s so intertwined. And most of the time I don’t really learn them until after I moved on to my next adventure.
So, I thought I would create a user guide, of sorts, to…well… me. Not just to help me articulate what I find important and influences me, but also help me remember and appreciate everything those amazing teams have taught me. And hopefully there are parts you can take and help teams you are a part of be a little more amazing too!
If you’re interested in chatting about any of this..please reach out, but consider this as a quick WIP primer. It’s meant to capture some of the principles that are important to me, how I think, and some of my nuances. My hope is this can serve as a quick way to gain a little empathy and understanding on “Mat”.
My Principles
There are many things I’ve held close over the years, and other things I’ve completely given up. Most of that is due to me continuing to experience a whole lot of life and a wide variety of professions. In general, I tend to lean towards traditional management theories like the Human Relations Theory and Systems Theory, but basically I’ve come to value and appreciate a few key things:
Servant leadership
- I truly believe we’re all in this together and success is because of everyone involved
- It’s important to me to build trust, have integrity, and demonstrate competence
- I try to lead with empathy and accountability
- I don’t think leadership is a monopoly, I don’t like the concept of managing others, and I believe in mentoring over managing
- I strive to position others to succeed, celebrate wins, and give credit
Humility and Empathy
- I continually try to do the right thing and not just be right
- I think it’s critical to collaborate and respectfully challenge in order to get shit done
- I believe context is very important when trying to understand, evaluate, and respond
- I try to listen more than talk
Continuous improvement, learning, and teaching
- I’m trying to improve almost every aspect of who I am; personally and professionally
- I have goals, but they can move if and when I get new information
- I believe feedback is a gift and it should be received just as much as given
- It’s important to me to give back both in my personal and professional life
My Brain
Analytic
- As much as I fight it, I’m a very analytical person
Hard to shut it off
- If I get passionate about something, I tend to ruminate
I like clear answers
- Even if I don’t like the answer, it’s important for me to understand
Empathetic
- It’s listed last, but it can be overwhelming at times
My Nuances
- I am introverted…but love attention
- I can be very goofy…but typically not at work
- I am sarcastic…seriously
Things I’m working on
- Assuming positive intent
- Not jumping to conclusions based on partial facts
- Swearing…
- Spelling
Things I Need Help With
- Knowing when to stop (see my brain)
- Knowing if I’m providing value
- Knowing when/how I can help
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