Rox's Picks 45

Hey friends,

Yup, you read that right: This will be the last newsletter of 2020.

I initially planned on finishing off this season of the newsletter with the 52nd edition to make it a full year… But like most of the plans I made last year, 2020 changed my newsletter plans, too.

While it’s been a ridiculous year (to say the least), I’m so, so, so thankful for the privilege to share the craziness with you every week.

This said, I work best when I’m obsessing about one big problem at a time. And what’s top of mind for me right now is my new job.

I don’t want to send you a newsletter that I haven’t put enough love and attention into.

Because of this, I’ve decided to pause this newsletter earlier than planned, so I can focus on work.

I’ll pick this labour of love back up on Tuesday January 5th 2021. 

Last week’s newsletter had a 38% open rate. The top link you clicked was Lenny Rachitsky’s tweetstorm on managing up.

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Here’s what I learned, shared, and paid attention to this week:

1. Idea I’m digging — 

Personal User Manuals

I’m writing a personal user manual — a one-page Google Doc to help my teammates understand how I work. In addition to the distilled, single page version for work, I’ll be posting the full manual here on my blog.

As Anne-Laure Le Cunff explains, "A personal user manual is a short document outlining how you like to work, collaborate, communicate, and receive feedback.” If you’re curious about what these manuals look like, here are a few examples:

• “Leaders need “User Manuals” – and what I learned by writing mine”

• "Working with me — a ‘User Manual’” from Pete Vowles 

• GitLab’s CEO’s manual (my personal favourite)

2. Tools I’m Exploring — 

Personal CRM software

CRM stands for “customer relationship management”. This is a database that lets a company store details about each customer or potential customer.

I think every modern professional should have their own lightweight version of this contact database. As Derek Sivers said in his book Your Music and People, "Using a database is one of the most powerful things you can do for your career. Please don’t put it off.” 

For a simple personal database, you can use…

• Your phone’s Contacts app

• Index cards (like David Rockefeller), or

• A note-taking app like Roam Research

The problem with these simple solutions is that they’re just filing cabinets. They don’t encourage the action required to maintain relationships. They don’t remind you to rekindle relationships or follow up with people.

In addition to storing information, personal CRMs remind you to follow up with the people in your life. Here are 3 personal CRM tools I found that let you keep a database and remind you to keep in touch:

• Uphabit

• MonicaHQ

• Clay.Earth (still in beta)

3. Topic I’m Learning About — 

Remote Work

Thanks to COVID, most of us are familiar with the idea of working from wherever we want, whenever we want. But most of us haven’t taken full advantage of the freedom and flexibility of remote work, like:

• Working at a park

• Living the van life

• Going around the world in 6 months to visit coworkers

Just like any skill, being a creative and productive remote worker takes learning and practice. And the best places to learn are GitLab’s blog, their public company handbook, and Zapier’s blog.

4. Quote I’m Pondering — 

That's it for 2020!

Stay strong, stay kind, stay human.

A Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Halloween, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

Till next YEAR,

Roxine 👋

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