My Professional User Manual: The Dos & Don'ts of Working With Me
- Erin Ratliff
- Jan 7
- 7 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
"Clarity is Kindness."
Brene Brown
Welcome! I’m passionate about creating an open, honest and heart-led foundation for collaboration.
I’m excited to work with you, and I hope this guide helps us do so effectively and enjoyably. I believe SO much misunderstanding can be avoided simply with this: Radical Transparency.
Many of the terms and conditions for hiring me are outlined on your contract agreement, but there are some extra quirks that may be helpful to know that support my productivity and creativity so that I can deliver the best work and service possible.
Knowing these upfront can set the stage for a great partnership and reduce any stress, burnout or frustration down the line.
“In the long run, the most transparent organizations are the most trusted.”
Warren Bennis
What This Is
A personal or professional“user manual" is a tool that helps teams build trust and alignment. They have gained traction in modern leadership and team cultures, especially for progressive startups and creative teams.
These working instructional guides or "Read Me" docs are beneficial when joining a new team, taking on a new leadership role, or starting a project that requires close collaboration and communication. Essentially, they're a win-win for everyone and beneficial anytime you want to improve performance, clarity and teamwork.
Other benefits?
Faster Onboarding: New team members can quickly understand your strengths, preferences, and work habits, speeding up integration.
Conflict Prevention: By setting clear expectations, you help prevent potential conflicts or frustration around work styles and interactions.
Increased Productivity: When colleagues know how to engage with you efficiently, it reduces time spent on miscommunication and boosts overall productivity.
Self-Awareness: These tools empower individuals to better understand their own strengths, preferences, and growth areas.
Don't believe me?
Here is what some experts, CEOs have to say:
“Creating a personal user manual is a powerful act of self-awareness. It helps others understand how to work best with you and reduces unnecessary friction.” -Claire Hughes Johnson
"Every team benefits from understanding the ‘user manual’ of its members. It fosters empathy, minimizes conflict, and accelerates trust.” -Julie Zhuo
“A ‘Working With Me’ guide isn’t self-indulgent—it’s a leadership tool. It helps teams operate with mutual understanding and accountability.” -Adam Grant
Want to write your own?
Use the template below and consider including other sections based on your needs.
Personality Test Results: Big 5, DiSC, StrengthsFinder, or Myers-Briggs.
Career Stories: Your professional journey, achievements/wins, and key experiences.
Career Kudos: Your positive feedback and reviews
Case Studies: Summaries for work projects to showcase impact and summarize problems, solutions, outcomes.
Short term/Projects
Long-term Goals/Purpose
There is so much value in maintaining organized, reflective, and intentional practices in the workplace.
Communication
All work and sessions are conducted via online, so we can work together wherever you’re located!
Asynchronous Channels
Email: For written communication, detailed updates, or when formal documentation is necessary. I am committed to replying within 24 hours.
Recorded Video or Audio: Loom (video recordings) or voice note messages are great for detailed explanations.
Instant Messaging: Great for quick updates, brainstorming, or casual check-ins.
Scheduled Channels
Live-time correspondence is ideal for in-depth problem-solving, relationship-building or multi-person team meetings. Whenever possible, I strive to record or transcribe sessions recorded so we both can refer back.
Video Chat: Preferred for discussions requiring nuance or in-depth problem-solving. Tools: Zoom, Skype, Google.
Phone Call: For quick check-ins, or those days when you just don't want your face to be seen. :)
In Person Meeting: Ideal for relationship-building or complex, collaborative work.
Uncommunicated preferences are pre-meditated resentments.
Meeting Preferences
Help me cut through distractions, stay present with what matters most, and deliver high-impact results by respecting the boundaries below:
Scheduling:
In order to protect my time and energy for deep creative work, self-care and family, I only schedule meetings on Wednesdays.
Because I have already built in the structure and systems of pre-scheduled check-ins, I rarely accommodate unscheduled, unpaid calls or meetings. An hourly fee will be incurred for "emergency"/lifeline meetings outside of the previously agreed-upon meeting schedule outlined in your Statement of Work. Please aim to schedule outstanding meetings or calls at least 48 hours in advance so that I can provide the best attention and service.
If you're interested in booking a previously-unscheduled meeting it would be tremendously helpful and respectful to provide an agenda and/or written notes for it 48 hours in advance so that we can maximize our time and I can provide the best attention and service. Bonus points if you can also follow up with written action items and a summarized recap afterwards. I am committed to doing the same for the standing/scheduled meetings that I hold on my end.
Rescheduling:
Sometimes life happens, I get it! If you need to change the timing of a previously scheduled meeting, please notify me as soon as possible so we can find a new time that works for both of us.
24+ Hours Notice: You may reschedule once with no fee. I’ll do my best to accommodate your new timing.
Less Than 24 Hours Notice: A $50 rescheduling fee may apply, or the session may be forfeited, depending on the circumstances.
No-Shows or Missed Sessions: Unfortunately, sessions missed without notice cannot be refunded or rescheduled.
Again, these policies helps me protect my time and energy and stay in flow with other client work. Thank you for honoring it so we can both show up fully aligned!
Friendly reminder: Please do not text me for work-related matters. Thank you for understanding!
Working
My work and life set up, hours and environment.
Ideal Hours: I generally work normal business hours (9-5) unless there is a project that I can't step away from
Ideal Environment: I am accustomed to working from home. It is my sanctuary, and a quiet, calm and safe space for me to do my best work.
Ideal Comms: Clear goals, defined timelines, and a broader understanding of how my work will fit into your big picture. I value open communications with clarity but conciseness. Bullet points are A-OK, but keep in mind I may seek further clarification if needed.
Ideal Feedback: I value constructive feedback and am always eager to improve, learn and grow. After every project or yearly wrap-up I will send an opportunity for you to submit a testimonial for my future marketing, or provide private feedback that I can utilize. Of course if there is anything you'd like to share prior to that, I welcome it, and will leave it up leave it up to you as to what format and frequency you're most comfortable delivering it in!
“Transparency, honesty, kindness, good stewardship, even humor, work in businesses at all times.”
John Gerzema
Pleasure Points
I value...
Empathy: I approach interactions with sensitivity and respect for other people's perspectives and experiences.
Inclusivity: I value diverse voices and strive to create an environment where everyone feels heard and valued.
Integrity: I prioritize honesty and transparency, even when the conversations are tough. No hidden policies or fine print here. In the very rare case I need an extension for a project, I will communicate the change to you as I know I have a conflict or delay.
Excellence: I hold myself and my work to high standards and appreciate others who do the same.I focus on identifying challenges quickly and pivoting to actionable solutions.
Efficiency: I value energetic FLOW, the organizational systems and structures needed to make meaningful progress. I'm also open to adapting if there’s a better way forward.
Reciprocity: I expect to be paid on time. I will not continue or resume work for you this expectation is not met.
Curiosity: I am hyper-curious, multi-passionate continuous learner. If there is something I do not know how to do, I will get started right away to learn.
Collaboration: The magic happens when we can combine our skills and strengths, challenge ideas, and co-create something far more powerful than we could alone.
Independence: I thrive when we brainstorm together but appreciate the space and trust to execute tasks autonomously, in my own style and pace.
Clarity: I thrive when there is explicitly clear direction, goals and expectations outlined for everyone involved. Clear is kind!
Lightness: While I take my job seriously and can be intensely focused on high-priority tasks, I genuinely enjoy humor, creativity, and joyful moments.
"Clarity is the elimination of confusion. Great leaders are great simplifiers."
Jack Welch
Pain Points
I don’t have much patience or tolerance for...
Lack of Accountability: I value teammates and co-creators who follow through on their word, their commitments and take full ownership and responsibility for their part of the work.
Criticism: Raising concerns is essential, but I appreciate constructive feedback rooted in compassion and growth. Bonus if you can share proposed solutions/suggestions!
Disorganization: I find it challenging to work in environments with unclear goals, dead-end projects or poorly defined roles.
Ambiguity: Noticing a theme? I love clarity! Let's avoid making assumptions about eachother's decisions, work styles and preferences.
Dishonesty: Transparency and integrity are non-negotiable for me. If I don't feel psychologically safe making decisions with you, then we are not a fit.
Disrespect: Please honor the boundaries, guidelines, or deadlines I've set forth, and I'll do the same for you!
Building Mutual Trust
I am a firm believer that trust is build over time and demonstrated experience. That's why many of my policies for new clients are self-protective, risk-mitigating and become more lenient over time.
First-time Clients
In this initial 6 month trial/discretionary period, upfront payment is required before services begin on each milestone.
Premium Clients
After working together for 6 months and establishing a strong relationships, clients are eligible to move to a different payment plan based on trust and confidence in the demonstrated value and past performance of each other's systems and capabilities.
Friendly reminder: I have been hired by you to create and submit professional quality deliverables in a timely fashion, and that is indeed what I will do! As such, the details and logistics of the work I complete are mostly irrelevant.
In the US, being an Independent Contractor means that I legally have the freedom to dictate where, when, and how a project gets completed. If this is not a fit for your company or needs, I encourage you to hire a W2 employee, not a 1099 freelancer.
For more information on this, visit the IRS website here.
Let’s Build Together
Now it's your turn! I’d love to learn about your preferences, communication styles, and values as well, if you’re comfortable sharing them. Together, we can create a collaborative, supportive, and high-performing team where the sky is the limit to what we can accomplish.
Looking forward to working with you!
In Love & Light,
Erin
Erin Ratliff is a holistic business coach and consultant specializing in organic growth + visibility for energy-sensitive soul-preneurs and heart-led self-starters in pursuit of personal and planetary healing.
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