The basics you should know about me are ...
Hi! I'm Matthew (not Matt)
I'm an independent strategist - I help businesses figure out what to do next.
I'm also creator of the Manual of Me, which you're using right now.
I'm a single dad, so design the way I work around my children, school runs and energy levels.
I'm a coffee nerd, love ice-cream, and live just outside London.
My Working Hours
Tu: 08:00 - 16:00
We: 08:00 - 15:00
Th: 09:30 - 16:00
I add value to teams by …
I am a strategic hacker, I love rapidly creating little things which prove or explore something, so where most strategists are the first 20% of a project, I'm the first 30%
My Manual of Me now includes...
+ Custom Questions!
+ Custom Ordering of Questions
+ Custom Share URLs
+ and much more coming soon!
The brief I can work best from includes ...
An opportunity to explore something new, from a different perspective. Anything without a clear answer in mind already. A problem which really matters, and remit to do something about it!
You’ll convince me to get on board by …
Being clear about what you're expecting from me, work with me, not just tell me what to do - and be excited about the opportunity, not just farming it out to someone else.
The best way to give me feedback is …
Honest, candidly and written, please.
I need to hear where I could improve things as well as where I've done well.
I need to understand the areas which are good enough, so I don't over-engineer the answer, and regular check-ins with me are essential to make sure I'm not wandering off the path.
I don't accept compliments well, so try to and position them as a good outcome for the project, rather than my work being good.
Beyond work, I’m really passionate about ...
I'm a big coffee nerd (actually, I'm trained as a barista, but only for my own interest), I'm a mental health advocate and run a support community which takes up much of my time. I'm a parent, and love spending time playing and learning from my kids. I'm am AFOL (Adult Fan of LEGO), and once built a replica of my office building. I also love travelling to the Nordics, particularly Stockholm, and expect I'll move there one day.
The environments in which I thrive have …
It really depends. I need to move around every couple of hours - I like quirky comfy spaces, as well as modern light open spaces. I like having some noise around me, but also like having my headphones on. I need to be able to move from space to space to suit the mood and task I have, rather than being tied to a particular place or routine.