I’m fundamentally a ‘builder’. So I like to make things and understand how they work.
I’m quite fiery, for better or worse. Becoming a more even-keel is something I strive for.
I work fast. I will always push to ‘get something out’ rather than wait around. I am very impatient.
My mind tends to always be ‘on’. This means it’s difficult for me to switch off.
👨💻 How to work with me
Communication
I get overwhelmed with Slack messages, so if you need me to do something - email it to me. In the email, please explain when it needs to be done by.
I really value status updates on things. i.e. End of week emails where you let me know what you’ve been doing and where things are up to.
I always read Slack and Email. This is very much to my detriment. If I’m away, this makes it really difficult for me to turn off - so please be mindful of that before you email me about something. If something is really broken and you do need me - then text me, because sometimes I’ll remove all notifications from my phone to save myself.
Having said that, feel free to ‘cc’ me on anything you think appropriate. It’s a good way to keep me in the loop. I always read emails, even if I don’t reply.
Meetings
1-1s should be directed by you as much as possible. Please come with 2-3 things that you’d like to discuss - nothing is off-limits. If you say “Everything’s going great, I’ve got nothing to discuss” - there should ALWAYS be things to discuss and I will just ask you probing questions anyway. Please use this time well.
Being strict with the agenda and purpose of a meeting is very helpful in helping us be productive. I also recommend keeping them to 20 minutes or under.
Back to back meetings kill me, so if you’re booking time with me - remember that a clear few hours doesn’t always mean I’m free - I probably need that time to actually do some work.
If you’re unsure about when I might be about, sometimes it’s easiest to check with MiMia Crowe, who has a better idea of my calendar than even me.
Other Stuff
If you’ve come across something you find interesting, rather than just sending a link to me or the team, it’s really helpful to pull out the salient points of whatever it is. Often people are too busy and/or forget to click through - so sharing what you found insightful is a good way for everyone to learn in a very low barrier way.
As much as it may not seem it because I’m running around like a headless chicken, I actually really really care about the team’s wellbeing. If things are upsetting you, please come talk to me. Countless times this has happened in the past, the response has always been “I did not expect you to be so understanding.”
🇬🇧 Things to not read in to
I am very sarcastic. It’s the British in me. If you think what I’m saying could be a joke - it’s a joke. I promise.
If I seem short on Slack or email - it’s just my writing style, I’m not trying to be rude.
If I seem like I’m in a shitty mood, it’s almost certainly nothing to do with you - this job is just stressful. But know that I love it and would not do anything else in the entire world.
😌 Things that make me happy
When you challenge me on issues, even if it seems slightly terrifying. I don’t actually like having the strongest opinion on everything, I’d much prefer you being knowledgeable and explaining why it’s a better approach.
If you take responsibility and ‘own’ stuff. On a team of our size, the likelihood is that no-one else will - so being the one to pick stuff up is really appreciated. Please feel empowered to make decisions. In 90% of cases, you will have made the right one and in the other 10%, I’m sure there’s a way we can fix it post-hoc.
Replying to emails (especially external) promptly and professionally. Email is a bit of an art and it does genuinely take a bit of practice to get good at this.
Sending me summary updates on how things are going (e.g. internal and external projects, client relationships, and contracts).
When you just get stuff done.
😓 Things that will not make me happy
If I have to remind you about things or if things get missed. Staying on top of ‘your list’ is one of the most important skills you can muster.
If you email me something with mistakes. Ideally, the use of my time is for checking the core of what you’ve done, rather than spell checking. Make sure you’ve given it a once over before clicking send.
If you email me with something that you could have figured out yourself. I’m probably Googling the answer most of the time just like anyone else. Don’t interpret this as “you shouldn’t approach me with problems” - that’s entirely what I’m here for.
If you don’t raise something with me because you were worried about the reaction. If you have feedback or things are going wrong - I will be very grateful and appreciative that you brought it up. This could be about a behaviour that I do that you don’t like, or something fundamental with the company. Please speak up.
If you behave in a way that could be perceived as ‘political’, i.e. not in the best interests of the company, but self-serving.
🔖 Stuff I recommend
Keeping a strict to-do list. Find your own tools and get good at them. Read my productivity notes for more: Chris's Notes on Productivity . Read stuff like this too.
Finding time in the day which you can ‘clear’ for work. If that means going to a coffee shop, turning off Slack, or working from home - then great.
Being incredibly strict with taking meetings. They are often a waste of time if they’re not run well and don’t have a clear purpose.
Keep developing your own style of working. Make it your bible. Talk about it with people. Show it off like a badge of pride. “THIS IS HOW I WORK AND I THINK IT’S THE BEST BECAUSE …”
Constantly prioritising and being ruthless with your time.
🎅 Comments from Mike
Having worked with me for ~7 years, Mike has picked up his own wisdom about how to work with me:
Over-communication over under-communication; this includes being kept in the loop of things all over the company
Emails: more concise the better
Data, science, rationale is king; come with data or a hypothesis, or don’t come at all
Not knowing is fine, but try and solve the problem first - it shouldn’t be immediately Googleable
Stick 15-30 mins in diaries to discuss bigger points / conversations - avoid Slack for these things
Chris responds well to food gifts, DOTA conversation, inappropriate jokes, any conversation about competitors being screwed over, and his dogs, Pepper and Alfie
👩🏽 Comments from Crystal
My wife also has some reflections. These are entirely unfiltered:
Although Chris has strong opinions, he’s willing to be challenged and will change his mind if you put forward an argument in a thoughtful way.
Being a founder is tough; ask Chris how he is from time to time and show him some humanity.
Chris gets energy from feeling like other people care about Second Nature as much as he and Mike do. So bring fresh ideas, read, find out about best practices from other companies and make suggestions on how to make things better.
No matter how stressed he is some humour will never go amiss.