Sian user manual
What is a user manual?
Inspired by some awesome Digital Gov folks on Twitter, I wrote a user manual that sums up everything you might want to know about hiring or working with me. Enjoy!
Working with your Sian
Personal pronouns
She/her
Ideal working environment
I’m more comfortable working from home day to day, and love spending time in-person where it has a purpose. Wherever I’m working from, I appreciate having somewhere quiet to go with good video conferencing tools, and ways to make sure everyone’s voice is heard and included.
Effective communication
If it's urgent - text me. If it's SUPER urgent - call or text me. Best not to bother with voicemail as it'll slow things down. If it's more appropriate to send a Slack or email, then go for it. I check emails regularly, but unless it's time critical it may take me a day or two to respond.
I'm not afraid to call out the elephant in the room. I'm not a good liar (neither is my face!), so if there's a problem please talk to me. I’m conscious of what I say and the impact it has, but I don't mince words. I thrive best when I don't have to do lots of emotional labour and politics. Don't get me wrong, I’m a competent diplomat. But with the people I work closest with I prefer to be completely open, honest, and no BS. If I'm talking too much, stop me! I can get overly excited and forget that I want to talk less, actively listen and ask more open questions.
I love visuals: post-its, vision boards, product canvases, impact maps, service blueprints, things stuck on walls. I use tools like Trello, Mural, and Miro to help visualise and collaborate as a team remotely.
I try to write Weeknotes every Friday but have not quite got the habit to stick.
Working hours
My working pattern is 4 days a week, roughly 8.30am - 3pm. If I’m not doing the school pick up for my daughters (who are 7 and 9), then I like to be meeting-free when they come home at around 3.30pm so I can give them a hug and chat about their day. I’m usually back online around 4-5.30pm.
Unless I’m supporting a live service, product, or there’s a *really* good reason to, I try not to look at emails or Slack outside of work hours. I don’t expect my team to either, but I appreciate everyone has their preferences, and try not to assume everyone does things the same way.
Giving me feedback
I welcome constructive feedback about what I’m doing well and not so well. In fact, without it I get twitchy. I care (almost too much) about doing a good job. Feel free to let me know if I’m doing great work, or really should cut something out as and when a situation occurs. A 1:1 retrospective style approach goes down well with me too.
Things I struggle with
But… I may find negative feedback really hard to hear. That doesn’t mean you should hold back, but I’m very sensitive to any perceived failure or rejection, and need a little time to remember that it’s not personal, feedback is a gift, and I don’t need to get everything right all the time.
I have ADHD, am Autistic, and contend with pesky health stuff like Osteoarthritis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or M.E. as it’s also known. All of these are tricky “invisible” disabilities, and they don’t always affect me the same way day to day. I’m one of the lucky ones in that I can work, but I have to be careful to manage my energy levels or else I could end up in lots of pain and bed-bound. That sounds scary I know, but I first became unwell 16 years ago at the age of 23, so it’s something I’ve learnt to adapt to.
Things I need
I’m a pro at ignoring my own advice, and I push myself too hard all the time. I need people around me that I trust, and who will support me when I’m having a bad day. My strength is in sensing other people’s feelings and needs. I’m not great at recognising or meeting my own. It’s a work in progress and having lovely, supportive, intelligent people around me makes a world of difference.
Things I love
I love my work. I’m eternally grateful that by happy accident I ended up in Digital/ Tech, despite it never crossing my mind as a wee lass. In no particular order, I get passionate about: product, user centred design, all things agile, feminism, social justice, equality, diversity & inclusion, faffing with cushions, eco-friendly interior design and architecture, the ethics of virtual reality and artificial intelligence, philosophy - specifically Nietzsche, Sartre, De Beauvoir, and the existentialists, service design, org design, the psychology of change, psychological safety, utopian ideas like universal basic income & borderless states, Frida Kahlo, Radiohead, and Star Trek.
Other things about me
I was raised on science fiction, socialism, and prog-rock. My inner child is Wednesday Addams. I’m married to a bloody awesome French-Vietnamese dude, with whom I have two adorable girls called Gaia and Luna, and a tabby cat called Jadzia.
I live in Leyton, East London, but am from Essex (not Australia! Apparently I sound Australian to everyone apart from actual Australians). I speak French badly (life-long learner), and hop over to France to see my lovely in-laws every chance I get.
I smile and laugh a lot. I’m never intentionally funny, it just happens by accident sometimes. I volunteer for ADHD Pathfinding as a Service Owner, and for 10 years was a STEM ambassador, which means I’d occasionally terrify myself by speaking to schoolchildren about why tech is cool and they should totally work here one day.
Apparently I get hangry. Feed me and we’ll get along just fine.