Visiting LinkedIn HQ
My job is based in the office most of the time, so I don't get to visit customers or even get into town to where it's all happening (or at least I feel like that's where it's all a buzz). So it was nice to get invited to a talk in LinkedIn this morning. Their Chief Marketing Officer, Shannon Brayton, was visiting from San Francisco, so she hosted a chat on her career.
My Commute
I'm lucky working for Microsoft that I live close by and have a 10 minute commute on the bike normally. Getting into LinkedIn, just off Baggot St near the Grand Canal, I had options.
- Drive - no way in that traffic at 7am, 45min+ and all that stress.
- Luas - good option but it would take me 45mins.
- Bike - quickest (30 mins) and it was a nice morning to get some fresh air.
Once I got there, bike parking was great. A small underground car park had good bike bays, with stacked bike racks, which was a nice feature. Most employees must walk or take public transport, judging by size of car park.
Shannon's Career Thoughts
I'd never heard of Shannon to be honest, but I thought she'd be an interesting speaker, as she's worked in various tech companies such as eBay, Intuit and Opentable. Plus LinkedIn is part of Microsoft now, so her perspectives might connect with what we do.
She decided to spend 3 weeks in Dublin working this summer, which was a nice idea. A great way to understand how the company works over here, while allowing her family to explore Ireland.
I liked the way Shannon spoke about gaining new experiences, no matter what your career. Try new things - if a new, unexpected job opportunity came up, which you're not qualified for, ask yourself the question why wouldn't I give it a go?" That motivated me to look for new opportunities and expand my skill set.
Second thing which struck, and I've heard it before, is tell your boss what you're thinking. You might think they know, but don't assume and maybe they can't read your mind. I've found myself getting frustrated at times in jobs, but by telling someone I'm ready for a change, it usually helps.
Reverse mentoring was a good topic - if you're senior, going out to talk to junior people who you wouldn't normally interact with. I have heard great things about it. No matter who you are, I think you can do this, at least informally. Meet new grad hires for lunch, get involves in a cross-site initiative or mentor someone who works in a different area to you.
I did like the way Shannon says she conducts or prepares for meetings. Death by Powerpoint - avoid it by sending a pre-read, assume your audience has read it and then use the time of the meeting to "tell me a story." Great in theory, but I know we're a company that struggles to get away from that norm of always having slides (or "decks" as American corporate jargon labels them).
Telling a story is hard - you have to know what help you want, what the goal is and what the issues are. It takes confidence and vulnerability to make a mistake, or deal with not knowing the answers to all questions people might ask.
Someone mentioned this funny example of how telling a story is killed if you use Powerpoint. What is Abraham Lincoln tried to deliver the Gettysburg Address using slides?
The Office
Since it was my first time into visit LinkedIn EMEA HQ, I had a quick peak around. Registration at reception was easy, just sign in a visitor on the tablet and get a badge. The canteen was lovely - excellent healthy & fresh breakfast options. Big difference to us is that the food is all free. Which has it's downsides, as this helpful chart tracking food waste shows.
The architectural design of the building was very similar to Microsoft in terms of surfaces, shapes, materials. Nice open office space and meeting rooms of all sizes. The meeting room names seemed to be themed on customer names or famous people. I felt old in there - everyone looked in their 20s and 30s and from all parts of the world.
