Most workplace relationships start the same way. A handshake, an onboarding doc, a few awkward "so, tell me about yourself" moments in a meeting room. And then we spend months -- sometimes years -- quietly learning what makes our colleagues tick, what winds them up, and what they actually need to do their best work.
What if we just... asked upfront?
That's the idea behind the personal user guide. A short, honest document where you tell the people you work with who you are, how you operate, and what working well with you actually looks like. No performance, no corporate speak -- just the real stuff.
We asked MYNDUP's CEO, Kathryn, to fill one in. Here's what she shared, in her own words.
A bit about me...
I'm Kathryn. 32 years old (not updating this as time moves on). I live near Brighton with my three children, and unfashionable to say as a mum in the workplace, but my kids come first and that’s that. I grew up around Brighton and went off to learn and work in Sydney on my own when I was 18. This explains my unusual accent. I worked full time while at uni and ended up being the barista for Channel 10. I was in a magazine as the best female barista in Sydney (humble brag hun). When I moved back to the UK, I started working in media and spent 8 years working at JCDecaux. After baby 3, I wanted to do something I genuinely cared about and spoiler alert, it wasn’t billboards.
I am an introvert masquerading as an extrovert (64%/36% split) and my personality type is advocate (INFJ-T). * Source 16 personalities quiz. If you’d like an in depth analysis, I’m happy to send through a link but in short, I am passionate about building people up, constantly improving and play the role of the diplomat.
I'm at my best when...
I work well with structure. Clear agendas, preparation, and bullet points are my friend. I'm collaborative at the start of a project and autonomous once responsibilities are divided. I like to be busy and generally operate at roughly 100 miles per hour. I am aware this is not everyone else’s automatic speed.
I also genuinely want to know how your weekend was. Bonding as a team matters to me, and I'm at my best when my team are lifting each other up. I am liberal with praise, know that it is only voiced if genuine.
I'm at my worst when...
I have a pretty clear picture of when I'm not at my best. No clear objectives or timeline. Being put on the spot. Feeling like things are behind. Criticism that doesn't come with context or a path forward.
I'm also highly self-critical in a work capacity, and when I feel like I’m not doing well at something I can sometimes find this quite paralysing. And I a non-negotiable for me is always making time to move.
Best ways to communicate with me...
Conversations for discussion, emails for information. Don't send me a wall of unstructured text and expect it to land. I love a chat but when we are trying to get through work, I prefer direct dialogue. I’m not great at jumping around different things without having resolved an objective.
Feedback is great. I really thrive off good feedback but I welcome ideas to improve as I always want to do better. NB: not in the context of you should have done better’ or what you did was wrong’. I won’t be doing this to you either. You won’t have to second guess what I think of you.
Things I need from my team
I hold high value in basic work etiquette. This means I really respect:
● Responding to communication. Doesn’t have to be immediate but not ignored.
● When work is acknowledged when it is delivered.
● If you say you will do something by a time, do it. If it might be delayed, just let me know. It’s never a problem if it’s communicated.
● Being on time to meetings.
● Please, thank you and the odd expression of appreciation goes a long way.
Other things about me
I love routine. I couldn't start or end a day without tea in a specific mug, and and if you turned up at my house unannounced I would be very, very stressed. I'd never wear mismatched socks, but the rest of my life is in a state of disrepair. I need a considerable amount of time alone to recharge from social situations. I love reading - anything and everything. Cold, sunny days are my favourite. And I absolutely love breaded chicken.
These details might seem small. They're not. They're the difference between a colleague and a person.
Why this matters
We spend a huge portion of our lives at work, often alongside people we know surprisingly little about. Not because we don't care, but because no one ever created the space to ask.
A personal user guide creates that space. It reduces the guesswork. It shortens the time it takes to build real trust. And it signals something important: that knowing how someone works is worth making time for.
Kathryn's version is warm, specific, and refreshingly honest. That's not a coincidence - it's what the format invites. When you give people permission to say "here's what I actually need," they usually do.
Maybe it's time to write your own.