Developing Appreciation

Thank you

In this time of thanks and reflection, it's always good to let people know what they mean to you and how they've improved your life. This post is going to be one of my shorter ones, but I just wanted to take a minute to thank the people and teammates that have made this year a good one.

First, I have to thank my manager and the entire management team at DealerOn. I can be a bit eccentric and tend to push back on tasks and things that, being the person closest to the work being done, don't make sense to me from a strategic, logistic, or technical debt perspective. At past companies, that behavior was frowned upon and actively discouraged. It wasn't about producing the best work we could, it was just about getting it out on time. Here, my manager and crew respect my drive to do it right and will listen to my reasons if I push back on something. It's not an immediate "just get it done" shutdown, it's a discussion, and that makes me immensely grateful to be working with and for people that will step away from the hard business line from time to time and look at what's best for the road and destination we're traveling towards.

Second, I need to thank my teammates. You guys keep me honest. It's great to work with people that take time to learn the whats and whys of the work we're doing, and it's great to have people that will push back against my ideas when they disagree. I don't expect that I have the best idea every time, so having people that aren't afraid to say "well, I think it should be this way, and here's why" is paramount for producing the best work we can from our team. You all are talented, motivated, and determined to raise the bar every day, and you do.

Third, I want to thank my cow-workers (inside joke, puns for days). All of you make coming to work day after day so much more enjoyable. There's an eclectic variety of personalities, interests, experiences, and expressions of life that fill this workspace with so much energy. You all are what makes this a place worth coming to, and one of the reasons I love coming into the office even if I could work from home.

So, I just want to say thank you to everyone. You help make my days better and I hope I in some way provide the same for you. You help me grow, keep me honest, and provide a worthwhile environment for me to feel like the best me. Thank you.