Elaine's README

Hello! I'm Elaine 👋

This is my README. I’m a person, not a computer, so my documentation tends to go out of date pretty fast. Nonetheless, here are some things which should make it easier to work with me.

The basics you should know about me are…

I’m from Ireland 🇮🇪 originally but have lived in Berlin 🇩🇪 for many years now. I’ve worked in software my whole professional career (in a bunch of roles including Developer, Product Manager and Professional Services Leader) but have also done other things like bartending and pig farming. I like to work and think it should be possible to have fun doing so. 😎

💟 What I care about..

• People first. Yes, we work in technology but software is built by people for people, so putting people at the heart of everything we do is important to me.
• Honesty and accountability count. Say what you do and do what you say. Trust is the foundation of every good relationship, so being straight with people and saying what you mean goes a long way. We won’t always agree, which is fine but we’ll understand each other so we can figure out how to move forward. Equally important is to follow up. If you say you’re gonna do something, do it. I will too. If you need help, ask. Perfect is the enemy of good!
• Always be kind. Assume good intent, always. People want to do their best and the world is just a nicer place once everyone starts from there.
• Stay curious. Assuming you’re maybe not the smartest person in the room affords the greatest opportunity to learn something you didn’t know and gain a new perspective, which are hugely valuable.

🌟 What qualities I particularly value in people I work with…

• Curiosity - open to trying things out and ask lots of questions
• Not trying to boil the ocean - start small, nail what works then scale fast
• Willingness to pitch in and help out
• Respectful of people’s time

🙈 My pet peeves…

• All things being priority #1. If everything is prio-1, then nothing is. Mitigation: re-align and prioritise, to manage trade-offs and risk
• Talking over each other. We all do it sometimes (myself included), but if one is talking it’s pretty hard to listen. Mitigation: make space in discussions for everyone to share their view, the outcome will be better as a result of more diverse thinking.

📢 The best way to communicate with me is…

• #️⃣ Slack: I prefer slack to email so it’s the best way to reach me
• ☎️ Phone: Please don’t call without a calendar invite. Message/text me first
• 📧 Email: Fine for external-facing communication, but let’s move it to slack otherwise. I don’t check my email more than a couple of times per day so don’t expect speedy responses

✏️ Which language? Write me in English or German but I’ll likely respond in English for expediency sake

👉 My Role

Director Customer Success, EMEA

Responsible for customer success in EMEA. Empowering CSM/A team to drive customer satisfaction, retention, and growth by helping organisations deliver better software, faster!

How I think about Customer Success…

Put the customer at the heart of everything we do. We wouldn’t be here without them and our job is to make them successful. Unreasonable hospitality and the idea that how we serve is as valuable as what we serve resonates strongly with me.

📢 The best way to give me feedback is…

Honestly, candidly and ideally 1:1, please. I’ve benefited hugely from constructive feedback throughout my career, so it’s something I highly appreciate.

🌵 Beyond work...

When I’m not talking tech, you can find me in a yoga studio or up the side of a mountain (I like to hike) in some far flung part of the world (I love to travel).

😄 When I need a giggle…

• XKCD
• Monkey user
• Spider drawing
• Hyperbole and a half