With fall settling in and a recent birthday, reflection called:
- Internet relationships are fragile. Nurture the mood of the video calls and message boards.
- Schedule two hour blocks for undistracted work. Cleaning a dish or walking the block > checking your phone or email.
- Batch your communication. We are used to instant responses, but others adjust quickly to your cadence. They may even like responding with settled emotions.
- You don't need all the information to move forward - identify what you need right now.
- Choose a manager with deep expertise in your field. It is hard to interview for personality fit, so optimize for mutual respect.
- Contract-to-hire positions are like internships, great for pivoting careers and trying new cultures.
- When influencing without authority, reduce decision burden. E.g., if you want to interview someone, share a couple exchanges and say 'if you'd like to share your story, I can set some time together.' Easy to say yes.
- Habitually think of trade-offs; every decision has them.
- Think big, work small. Nail the details and tell a story.
- When influencing without authority, understand the situation before making an ask. You spend precious social capital saying 'will you just do x'.