The current chapter in my career.
2023 - currently
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John Underwood

When I'm stressed, you might notice me…

being more direct and impatient about non-action.

One danger in being so action oriented is that I might be missing the bigger picture and the task that has gripped me might not be as productive as I think. 

One thing others can do is start at the end/goal/outcome and walk me through from the end back to where I am, checking assumptions I might have made. From there, it will likely be the case that I will know what help I can ask for.

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John Faulkner-Willcocks

Teammates say the best way to get John excited about something…

Share a concept early and give him space to prototype and demo!
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John Underwood

How I relax

Just stopping

It might sound weird, just writing down where I am at in projects, etc and letting it all go will relax and rejuvenate me really fast. I can pop back refreshed in as little as 10 minutes.

I really admire teammates who… cover image
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John Underwood

I really admire teammates who are…

balanced between getting things done and looking at the big picture.

Too far either way become problematic. If thinking takes over instead of action, people begin to think that thinking *about* the problem/plan/action is productive. Too little about the big picture and a person or team can become stuck or optimize in the small but are no longer reaching the impact.

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John Underwood

Things I'd love to learn

I want to deepen my knowledge about SQL, window functions, etc.

Currently, I think I limit features, code by what I can currently accomplish, but being able to handle some of those in SQL would expand the features I could implement and do it performantly.

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3 Takes

My superpowers

Mentors and develops teammates for their growth2
Consistently hits goals and is a high performer2
Manages feelings of self and others during conflict2
Intentional and strategic project planning1
Maintains clear long term vision that drives decision making1
More…
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3 Takes

What I'm like at work

Hard Working3
Humble2
Respectful1
Thoughtful1
Confident1
More…
2
Values cover image
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John Underwood

My core values

AutonomyChallengeCreativityLearningMeaningful WorkService

I love creating with a strong tendency towards it being tangible: a product, piece of code, tiny robot, etc.

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2 Takes

I'm energized at work by…

helping others succeed2
solving problems2
async2
code. I love code.1
building stuff1
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4 Takes

My areas for growth

Clearly communicates purpose and vision2
Maintains effective work life balance1
Mentors and develops teammates for their growth1
Creates warm, caring relationships with teammates1
Makes decisions promptly, even with uncertainty1
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John Underwood

I learn best by…

doing it

Preferably quick feedback loops between learn something then do something.

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John Underwood

The best environment for me is:

time for deep work in the AM< 2 meetings zero back to back meetings

I like blocks of time for deep work, but try to make a block of time every day for meetings and such.

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John Faulkner-Willcocks

Teammates say John thrives as a…

Some mix of execution and strategy. They love doing tasks and the high-level strategy conversations.
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John Underwood

I like to get feedback when its given…

in the moment1:1videowith kindnesswith context
I worked for a credit card processor, in tax compliance, and on an accounting project.
2016 - 2022
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Darcy Mayfield

A fun fact about John is…

John used to help keep a fully remote team grounded by setting up Meditation Mondays and show up every Monday to lead mindful meditation for a subset of his teammates. It was truly a game changer to set a grounded tone for the week. 
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Rebecca Faill

Teammates say John was...

OrganizedResourcefulReliableIndependentThoughtful

They can count on him to finish his tasks thoughtfully, skillfully, and professionally. They should respect his desire to work in interruption-free chunks, and not expect constant, instant responses on slack, etc.

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Rebecca Faill

Teammates say John's superpowers were...

Willing to openly have difficult conversationsInvests and is interested in personal and professional growthCreates warm, caring relationships with teammatesCollaborates effectively with teammatesConsistently hits goals and is a high performer

I've been impressed by the way John intentionally plans out his tasks and executes them. His system naturally creates documentation and accountability. I found it inspiring.