# Nicholas Yager's Manager Readme **Data and Analytics Lead at Torch** # My Guiding Principles - **Creative Collaboration** : I firmly believe that we are best at solving problems when we work together in a way that embraces creativity. This includes bringing our best and worst ideas to the table, debating the merits of our options, and committing to a well-reasoned course of action. Problem-solving is best done by ignoring the [Myth of The Objective](https://www.amazon.com/Why-Greatness-Cannot-Planned-Objective/dp/3319155237 "https://www.amazon.com/Why-Greatness-Cannot-Planned-Objective/dp/3319155237") and using incremental designs as stepping stones instead. - **Radical Transparency:** I personally find myself more invested in a task if I fully understand how my work interacts with other systems, teams, and customers. I have a tendency to inquire about things that may be tangentially related to my work and to participate in meetings outside of my department. In doing so, I can develop a more holistic understanding of the organization and grow as a person. This transparency operates both ways, and I will always answer a question to the best of my ability if asked. - **Growth and Feedback:** I think that holding and maintaining a [growth mindset](https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Carol-S-Dweck/dp/0345472322 "https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Carol-S-Dweck/dp/0345472322") allows us to accomplish great things. I will provide clear and concise feedback where possible, and I expect the same in return. I tend to prefer constructive feedback to non-constructive feedback, but I'd rather take non-constructive feedback than no feedback at all. # My time with Torch I joined Torch in April of 2018. I was hired as Torch’s first full-time engineer by our CTO Scott Mercer. When I joined, we were building the core of the Torch Coaching platform on cheap folding tables in a co-working space – working nimbly and thoughtfully to turn our new-found seed funding into a successful business. I spent 14 months as a Senior Engineer, after which time Torch had grown enough that we wanted to start leveraging data to inform our decision-making process. To enable this, I founded Torch’s Data and Analytics team in June of 2019. Working as Torch’s sole data scientist for 18 months, I built out our data infrastructure and laid the foundation for Torch’s data team. During this time, Torch grew from 6 full-time employees to over 70. In January 2021, we started to grow the Data and Analytics team to enable us to support more of Torch’s data needs and to enable our customers to make the best decisions possible. This is a new experience for me, and I’m looking forward to this challenge as the team and my skills grow. # **Working with Me** **Communication** I tend to prefer asynchronous communication over synchronous communication. As a result, I tend to prefer Slack messages for time-sensitive communications, and I leverage Confluence heavily for documentation, meeting notes, and scratch pads. I lean towards public communication over private communication wherever possible. I always assume a request is non-urgent unless I’m informed otherwise. ## **Work/Life Balance** I believe that work/life balance is best preserved by maintaining proper separation between work hours and life hours. I will make great efforts to not communicate outside of your work hours, and I expect the same in return. While on holiday, I will always maintain an expectation of being entirely unavailable. ## **Social and Personality Style** There are a few different ways to measure personality and social styles. The characteristics below are descriptive, but imperfect so use your best judgment on how to leverage this information. **Enneagram** I am a Type 7 with a 6-wing. This type is often called [The Enthusiast](https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-7/ "https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-7/"). > Sevens are extroverted, optimistic, versatile, and spontaneous. Playful, high-spirited, and practical, they can also misapply their many talents, becoming over-extended, scattered, and undisciplined. They constantly seek new and exciting experiences, but can become distracted and exhausted by staying on the go. They typically have problems with impatience and impulsiveness. _At their Best_: they focus their talents on worthwhile goals, becoming appreciative, joyous, and satisfied. > > **Key Motivations:**  Want to maintain their freedom and happiness, to avoid missing out on worthwhile experiences, to keep themselves excited and occupied, to avoid and discharge pain. **Myers-Briggs** I am an ENFP-T. This type is often called [The Campaigner](https://www.16personalities.com/enfp-personality "https://www.16personalities.com/enfp-personality"). > A Campaigner (ENFP) is someone with the [Extraverted](https://www.16personalities.com/articles/mind-introverted-vs-extraverted "https://www.16personalities.com/articles/mind-introverted-vs-extraverted"), [Intuitive](https://www.16personalities.com/articles/energy-intuitive-vs-observant "https://www.16personalities.com/articles/energy-intuitive-vs-observant"), [Feeling](https://www.16personalities.com/articles/nature-thinking-vs-feeling "https://www.16personalities.com/articles/nature-thinking-vs-feeling"), and [Prospecting](https://www.16personalities.com/articles/tactics-judging-vs-prospecting "https://www.16personalities.com/articles/tactics-judging-vs-prospecting") personality traits. These people tend to embrace big ideas and actions that reflect their sense of hope and goodwill toward others. Their vibrant energy can flow in many directions. Campaigners are fiercely independent, and much more than stability and security, they crave creativity and freedom. **Social Style** I’m characterized as having an Expressive social style. > The expressive likes the company of other people as a means to "express" themselves. They can be good people to have at a party, because they're enthusiastic, dramatic and "interesting" people to have around. However, if they don't receive the attention they crave, they can get upset and even "difficult" to deal with. In conflict, they become emotional, prone to exaggeration and unpredictable. The best way to deal with this is to let them calm down. Try not to fuel the fire by saying anything controversial. > > Characteristics: People orientated, centre of attention, positive, emotional, talkative, enthusiastic, dramatic. > > In conflict: Unpredictable, emotional. > > Solutions: Allow them time to gain composure, ask questions, problem solve.Basic Need: Recognition **Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies** I am a Questioner. Gretchen Rubin outlines [The Four Tendencies](https://gretchenrubin.com/2013/10/what-kind-of-person-are-you-the-four-rubin-tendencies/ "https://gretchenrubin.com/2013/10/what-kind-of-person-are-you-the-four-rubin-tendencies/"). She also speaks about [Questioners](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOQGgbfx9ns&feature=emb_title "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOQGgbfx9ns&feature=emb\_title") on YouTube. # **Quirks** There are some quirks to my personality that I have no intention of mitigating. - I always communicate and work against any feature, product, or technology that I identify as an ethical risk for our employees or our users. - [I do not tolerate intolerance.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox\_of\_tolerance+")