Element (noun):a part or aspect of something abstract, especially one that is essential or characteristic.

Hi, It’s me, L, Lanessa,

I hope this helps you get to know me better sooner. I am happy to work with you.  If you are new to my team, know that I want you to feel like you can be yourself, be seen, and appreciated at work.  I believe that folks with flavors of the word “lead” in their title are at the bottom of the proverbial “totem pole” to serve as a strong and stable foundation for their team. I believe each and every person leads by how they show up and contribute to the team day in and day out. I am here to support you as you create your own path from wherever you stand right now. 

It may seem pedantic, yet I cringe when I hear people referred to as “resources”. I prefer we refer to humans as “talent” rather than “resources”. My goal as a manager and collaborator is to foster an environment where you have a healthy work-life balance (it is all life really), where work is not stressful, at a sustainable pace, where work is enjoyable, where you appreciate the work you are doing (you know why you are doing what you are doing and how it provides value to the humans who consume what you create), and you are recognized for the good you bring. You can come to me to vent and I will just listen if that is all you need. You can come to me to bounce off of me anything you are wrestling with, anything that feels weird or you are not sure about. I will ask you what you need to feel supported: only to be heard, feedback, ideas, options, brainstorming thoughts, suggestions. The human side of engineering is where my heart is. I am genuinely interested in you inside and outside of work, what you do for fun, what you love. You do not have to share personal stuff unless you want to; it will stay with me.

Miscellaneous tidbits:

• I listen to this book on Audible once a year, It Doesn’t Have to be Crazy at Work by Fried and Hansson
• Some of my favorite digital soul food on creativity, communication, product development, quality, and leadership includes Oren Ellenbogen’s Software Lead Weekly , Rob Walker’s TAoN (The Art of Noticing) , Ann-Marie Charrett’s blog, Julie Zhou’s blog, Molly Tsang’s Say It Skillfully.
• I have a high-maintenance inner life.
• Understanding is my WHY. I am continually exploring ideas and concepts. One example of recent educational studies is in Non-violent Communication.
• I love to write. I have been journaling since the fourth grade, yet ceremoniously burned my bushel box of journals in 2019 when I began my journey from Florida to Montana.
• These are a few ways in which I am sometimes challenged or may seem a little weird: being consistently concise and direct; I have a sense of humor yet can be slow to register a joke; I may respond to sarcasm initially as though things were meant literally.
• Asynchronous! When I slack you, I do not expect an immediate response. I will specify WHEN I need a response IF time is a factor. Please resist the urge if you feel like you must to respond right away. 
• Because I care, in the same way I will offer you radical candor, I hope you will gift me with timely feedback if you notice something I can do better. I want to know my blindspots and I am a gracious receiver of feedback.
• I love silly socks, music, poetry, cooking, yoga, swimming (indoor laps and open water), hiking year-round with my husband and our English Labrador, sending people postcards and good-ole fashioned hand written notes, icebreaker questions in agile retrospectives.

There to here

I grew up in Foley, AL, near the wetlands and beaches of South Alabama where farming and tourism are big. I was blessed to live on two acres with a hobby farm of goats, chickens, a horse, and the occasional cow. There was no cable TV and no computer in our home, yet there were Radio Shack electronics kits, an electronic keyboard, a Texas Instruments Little Professor Calculator, Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys, mom’s sewing machine and electric typewriter, and dad’s welding and machine shop.  During big rains, my younger brother and I wallered like pigs in the mud of the soybean and corn fields adjacent to our home. We climbed trees, cuddled with our cats, rode our dirt bikes all the time, disassembled and reassembled our bikes, saxophone, clarinet, and go-cart. As we got ready for school in the morning, we sang along with punk and hip-hop cassette tapes.  See my LinkedIn page, if you want to learn about my professional background and the kinds of organizations for which I have volunteered.

I look forward to us creating great things together.

As with pretty much every post, I close with a fun tune: R.E.M.’s Finest Worksong.